The Power Of Three
by x-psychicfire-x
Summary: *SEQUEL TO THE PROPHECY OF TEAM SEVEN* The Fellowship is broken. Naruto sets off with Frodo and Sam to help the Ringbearer destroy the One Ring; while Sasuke aids Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to search for and rescue Merry, Pippin and Sakura from being tortured and killed. Danger and adventure is at every turn, but will Team Seven be Middle Earth's saviours or witness its doom?
1. On The Road Again

**A/N: Hey minna! Welcome to the sequel to** _ **The Prophecy of Team Seven!**_ **If you are a reviewer from the last story, welcome back! If you're not, it would probably be best if you read the first story first before reading this.**

 **WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS CHAPTER? Frodo has a nightmare about Moria and losing Gandalf; Naruto, Sam and Frodo continue making their way through Emyn Muil and stumble upon Gollum trying to steal back the Ring from Frodo; Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke track down the Uruk-hai who kidnapped Merry, Pippin and Sakura; and trouble stirs within the realm of Rohan.**

 _ **Naruto**_ **Masashi Kishimoto and** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **© J.R.R Tolkien. I don't own or have any affiliation with both works of fiction.**

 **Please review responsibly and constructively. NO FLAMES WILL BE APPRECIATED!**

* * *

 **(5/06/2019) Please note that I have made slight changes to the final chapter of ' _The Prophecy of Team Seven'_ so I recommend before reading the last chapter again before reading this sequel. As such, I've also modified this chapter and the other three as well. Please enjoy the story!)**

* * *

 **ON THE ROAD AGAIN**

" _Few can foresee wither their road will lead them, till they come to its end."  
_ _ **~Gandalf: Lord of the Rings 'The Two Towers'.**_

Frodo slept fitfully on the rocky terrain of Emyn Muil, lost in the memory of his dear friend, and wizard Gandalf's final moments in Moria. The dream was so vivid, Frodo could swear he was back in Moria.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted. _Gandalf!_ "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor!" The Balrog snarled, and Frodo glanced around and saw the horrified expression of the rest of Fellowship observing Gandalf facing off against this demon of shadows and flame. _No, Gandalf! Please stop!_ "Argh! Go back to the shadow. The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!" Gandalf and the Balrog on the bridge of Khazad-dûm as the demon strikes down on Gandalf with its flaming sword. The grey wizard parried the blow with Glamdring, shattering the Balrog's sword. "YOU…SHALL NOT…PASS!" Gandalf thundered and strikes his staff onto the bridge. The Balrog takes a step forward and the bridge collapses under its weight, plunging the demon backward into the chasm; like before. Frodo despaired. He knew what was coming, and could do nothing but watch it happen again. He watches as an exhausted Gandalf, leans on his staff and watches the Balrog descend with contempt before turning and walking back towards the Fellowship. _Here it comes…_ The Balrog's whip lashes up from the depths of the abyss and winds around Gandalf's ankle and dragged him over the edge. He clings onto the bridge but is straining to keep his grip.

"Gandalf!" Frodo struggles in Boromir's restraint.

"No! No!" Gandalf glares at the Fellowship, who look back at the Wizard in horror. Frodo just wanted this dream, no nightmare, to be over.

"Fly you fools!" And he plunges into the chasm. _NO!_ After Gandalf fell after the Balrog, he manages to catch his sword Glamdring on his way down. They continue to plunge into the depths, and Gandalf hacks away at the Balrog even as it thrashes and bounces off the walls. They continue to plunge at great speed, sometimes with Gandalf clinging to the horn of the demon. The battling pair then falls into an enormous cavern and plunges into the icy water.

"Gandalf!" Frodo jolts awake, catching the attention of Sam whose turn it was to keep watch. Naruto, Sam and Frodo had drawn straws to see who would take the first watch, second and then final.

"What is it, Mr. Frodo?" Sam asks, looking concerned. Frodo looks around frantically, and seeing nothing but the jaggered rocks and mountain ridges, he sighed and lay back down.

"Nothing. Just a dream." Sam nodded, looking unconvinced as Naruto sat up, looking over at Sam who nodded in agreement. Naruto stayed sitting up, and stretched; scratching at his belly before getting up from his camp bed and started folding it up and went to answer the call of nature. Later, the three of them come across a cliff and saw no other alternative but to repel down it using Sam's elven rope, gifted to him by Galadriel. Naruto went first, as he was used to repelling down the side of cliffs occasionally as part of his career as a ninja.

"C'mon you two. It's easy!" Naruto shouted from the bottom. Both hobbits hesitated before Frodo summoned his courage and started walking backwards down the cliff. Sam followed swiftly.

"Easy!? It's easy for him to say!" Sam grumbled. Frodo rolled his eyes.

"You do know I can hear you, right Sam?" Naruto voice sounded from somewhere at the bottom of the cliff. Sam muttered to himself, before he talked down to Frodo.

"Can you see the bottom?" Sam asked him. Frodo craned his neck to check, and paled. He couldn't even see Naruto. _How high is this cliff?_

"No! Don't look down, Sam! Just keep going!" Frodo reassures his friend and Sam nodded, fearfully. A box falls from Sam's pocket.

"Oh! Catch it! Grab it, Mr. Frodo!" Sam exclaimed. Frodo reached out and grabbed the box, but slips and falls… right into Naruto's waiting arms.

"Gotcha!" Naruto grinned and put a flustered Frodo back down onto his feet. Naruto tried to avoid laughing at Frodo, as the hobbit glanced upwards and reassured a possibly freaking out Sam.

"I think I've found the bottom." Frodo announced. "With some help from Naruto…" Sam reached the bottom, and threw a grateful look at Naruto who shrugged it off. It was part of his job as a shinobi to not only defend but protect his charges. Sam glanced around with distaste.

"Bogs and rope, and goodness knows what. It's not natural. None of it." Frodo was frowning down at the box Sam asked him desperately to grab for him.

"What's in this?" He flipped open the lid and saw some white crystallised granules.

Naruto frowned. "Salt?"

"Seasoning. I thought maybe if we was having a roast chicken one night or somethin'?" Naruto and Frodo looked at the other hobbit with amusement.

"Roast chicken?" Frodo exclaimed incredulously. Sam looked embarrassed.

"You never know…" He trailed off, and Frodo smiled nostalgically.

"Sam! My dear Sam." He closed the lid and handed back to Sam, who pocketed it and continued to explain why he had it.

"It's very special, that. It's the best salt in all the Shire." Frodo smiled, and clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It is special. It's a little bit of home." Naruto's smile dropped, and he immediately thought of Sasuke and Sakura, and wondered how they were faring. But that unfortunately, caused him to think about _their_ home, and how the rest of the Rookie 9 and all their senseis were. He then bit his lip and looked worried. Were they searching for them? Had they actually been gone from the Elemental Nations for a long time? All these thoughts, eventually caused Naruto to brood and start feeling homesick. He was brought back down to reality when he heard Sam tutting disapprovingly and saw him and Frodo examining his rope. "We can't leave this for someone to follow us down." Frodo pointed out, and Sam snorted.

"Who's gonna follow us down here, Mr. Frodo?" He asked Frodo, dryly. "It's a shame really. Lady Galadriel gave me that. Real Elvish Rope." Naruto rolled his eyes and wondered over to them, volunteering to go back up to the top and untie it for them. "Well, there's nothing for it. It's one of my knots. Won't come free in a hurry." Naruto approached Sam.

"Hang about. I'll go back up and get it." Naruto grabbed onto the rope and started to pull himself back up. Unfortunately, the second he put his weight on the rope, the knot begins to loosen and the rope gives way. Naruto suddenly found himself, falling to the ground and lands in a heap at the hobbit's feet. Alarmed, Sam checks to see if Naruto is okay. Frodo raised an eyebrow and glanced up at the fog above.

"Real Elvish rope?" He commented, dubiously before stooping down to help Sam pull Naruto to his feet. The poor blonde had a large egg on the back of his head. "Wow, Naruto. That looks like it hurts!" Frodo said, examining the lump and wincing sympathetically. Naruto shrugged.

"Well, it doesn't tickle." Naruto chuckled, in embarrassment. But both hobbits gasped in astonishment when the egg on the back of Naruto's head instantly disappeared as though it had never been there in the first place.

"What sorcery is that?" Sam demanded, glaring suspiciously at Naruto who flushed, trying to think of an answer to the suspicious hobbit's question.

"Uh, shinobi are notoriously fast healers?" It wasn't an altogether lie. Shinobi did heal faster than the average civilian; but Frodo and Sam didn't need to know that Naruto's advanced healing was all down to the Kyuubi no Kitsune that resided within him.

* * *

Eventually, Frodo and Sam climbed over the rocky terrain with Naruto scouting ahead to try and find a safe path through the sharp rocks. They eventually come to the top of a Cliffside and look into the distance at the Mountain of Fire.

"Mordor. The one place in Middle Earth we don't want to see any closer, and the one place we're trying to get to. It's just where we can't get." Sam commented.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Naruto sounded a little irritated. He was hungry, and he could feel the Kyuubi stirring unpleasantly as they travelled closer to the evil of Mordor. Sam continued to despair. "Let's face it, Mr. Frodo, we're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way." Frodo winced at the mention of Gandalf and Naruto came over and offered the hobbit some comfort.

"He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam … but they did." Frodo continued to look miserably at Mordor, when suddenly he could feel and see the Eye zooming in on him. He gasped and panted as he turned and backed away. Naruto and Sam immediately came to his aid.

"Mr. Frodo? It's the Ring, isn't it?" Frodo nodded.

"It's getting heavier." He clutches the Ring by his chest and sits down, still panting. He fumbles for his water skin and takes a generous sip of water. Naruto takes a seat next to Frodo. "What food have we got left?" Sam untied his pack.

"Well, let me see." He pulls out a package of Lembas bread from his pack. He grins playfully. "Oh yes, lovely – Lembas bread. And look!" He digs deeper into the pack and pulls out some more. "More Lembas bread." He breaks off a piece for Frodo and Naruto and tosses it to them, before he tears off some for himself and munches on it. Naruto pulls a face.

"This stuff isn't so bad." Naruto commented lightly, crunching on his portion of the Lembas bread. Sam nodded.

"I don't usually hold with foreign food, but this elvish stuff. I agree with Naruto, it's not bad." Frodo smiles.

"Nothing dampens your spirits, does it Sam?" Frodo observes, and Sam smiles back. But his smile disappears when he notices something gathering in the sky over Mordor.

"Those rain clouds might." Sam points and Naruto looks over and curses. After eating their fill, the trio continue trekking through difficult terrain, often huddling underneath their cloaks. Eventually, they lost their patience.

"This looks strangely familiar." Sam commented, indicating the area around them. Frodo sighed with frustration.

"That's because we've been here before! We're going in circles." Frodo was exasperated. Naruto bit his tongue, resisting the urge to lash out in anger. While he really liked his new hobbit friends, they were starting to really grate on his patience. Suddenly a bad smell camped out in his nose.

"Ew! That reeks. Do you smell that?" Frodo and Sam approached where Naruto was standing and recoiled in disgust.

"Yes, I can smell it." Then something occurred to him, and he gestured for Sam and Naruto to come closer. "We're not alone." Naruto looked confused, but then thought back to a few days ago to before the Fellowship scattered, and cottoned on to who Frodo might've been thinking of.

"We need a plan." Naruto whispered and both hobbits nodded firmly, and they all put their heads together to form a plan.

* * *

Night time falls and all three of them are sleeping. Or at least, that's what it appeared to be. In reality, Frodo and Sam were feigning sleep, and the third lump was one of Naruto's shadow clones, which was set to disappear the second Naruto made his appearance. The plan was for Frodo and Sam to lie perfectly still, underneath the guise of deep slumber while Naruto snuck up behind the intruder and apprehended whoever it was, so that Frodo could get away quickly. A dark shape appeared on top of the cliff. It was Gollum, who had followed the trio since they had abandoned Aragorn and the rest back at the Falls of Rauros. He is making his way down to the hobbits.

"Thieves! The thieves! The filthy little thieves!" Gollum rasped, angrily. "Where is it? Where isss it? They stole it from us. My preciousss." Gollum creeps closer, making Frodo shudder with disgust when he realises Gollum was hovering directly above him, getting closer and closer. "Curse them! We hates them! It's ours, it is… and we wantsss it!" Gollum's hand is inches away from Frodo's neck, ready to seize the Ring from the chain around the hobbit's neck. But a glint of silver catches his eye and stops him in his tracks.

"Make one move, bright eyes, and your blood will paint those rocks!" Naruto's low, icy voice threatens the creature. Gollum growls and decides to call Naruto's bluff, but when the kunai presses deeper into his thin throat and a bead of blood seeps out of the nick. "In case you haven't already guessed, that wasn't a bluff." Immediately, Gollum freezes and curses underneath his breath as Frodo and Sam spring up and away from Gollum's reach. However, Naruto had underestimated the strength of Gollum and was caught off guard when he kicked out and connected with the blonde's solar plexus. Gollum sees the opportunity to leap onto Frodo, who falls backwards and lands painfully on the rocky terrain.

As he falls back, the chain and Ring around his neck is revealed and Gollum jumps straight for the Ring. Sam tries to grab Gollum but is knocked away as Naruto darts forward to assist Frodo. Gollum jumps on top of Frodo once again and undergoes a struggle of wills with Frodo, who struggles to push him away. Gollum's cheeks puff with exertion as he struggles with Frodo, his bright enormous eyes fixed on the Ring. Naruto falls back, trying to keep his anger under control; he didn't want to let the Kyuubi loose. Sam bear hugs Gollum and tears him away from Frodo. The creature then turns around and bites Sam on the shoulder, and wrestles with him until he clasps his arms around Sam's neck and legs around his waist in a death grip. Fed up, Frodo unsheathes Sting and holds it to Gollum's throat, where Naruto had already nicked his neck.

"This is Sting. You've seen it before, haven't you… Gollum?" Frodo glares menacingly at Gollum. The creature glares hatefully at Frodo, who is unmoved, and tightens his grip on Sam's throat. "Release him or I'll follow through on Naruto's promise to cut your throat!" Gollum hesitates, before slowly loosening his grip on Sam. The blonde hobbit scrambles to safety coughing and gasping for breath.

"Well done, Frodo." Naruto growls, and Gollum's eyes flick towards the ninja. Almost immediately, the creature's eyes widen in fear as Naruto's normally cheerful, bright blue eyes had changed into slitted, blood red fox eyes; which those who knew about the Kyuubi would see as a very bad omen. Gollum wails pathetically. When dawn breaks, Naruto borrows Sam's rope and wraps it around Gollum's neck like a dog leash. The creature ends up being dragged around for the duration of the hike, wailing and writhing in pain.

"It burns! It burns us! It freezes!" Gollum whines, and Naruto itches to stab a kunai into one of his large eyes to shut him up. A fact that causes Naruto to recoil from horror, because they were not his thoughts, but the Kyuubi's. "Nasty elves twisted it. Take it off us!" Gollum begged.

"Quiet you!" Sam tugged fiercely at the rope. Gollum cried out some more and collapses onto his back. Naruto stops in his tracks and glares hatefully at Gollum, as Sam turns to Frodo in dismay.

"It's hopeless! Every Orc in Mordor's going to hear this racket!" Sam complained. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Which is probably why he's doing it." Naruto pointed out. Sam nodded in agreement, knowing that Naruto wasn't stating the obvious on purpose; the boy was just as irritated as they were.

"Let's just tie him up and leave him." Sam suggested. Gollum's eyes widened in horror at the mere suggestion.

"No! That would kill us! Kill us!"

"I could always put you out of your misery…" Naruto offered, spinning a kunai threateningly around his finger and fixing the creature with a glare that could melt steel. Gollum instantly went silent, and both hobbits silently thanked Naruto for his threat, even though the way he had delivered it made their blood run cold. It was almost inhuman.

"Agreed. It's no more than you deserve!" Sam emphasised. Frodo looked at Gollum sadly.

"Maybe he does deserve to die, but now that I see him, I do pity him." Gollum overheard Frodo, and gave the hobbit a bright smile.

"We be nice to them if they be nice to us." Gollum promised and held out the rope to them. "Take it off us. We swears to do what you wants. We swears." Frodo hesitated as Sam and Naruto tensed.

"There's no promise you can make that I can trust." Frodo pointed out.

"We swears to serve the master of the preciousss. We swears on … on the precious." Gollum insisted, before hacking and coughing. Which to Naruto, sounded a lot like *Gollum. Gollum*. Frodo narrowed his eyes, and Naruto relaxed. Good, Frodo was not a fool.

"The Ring is treacherous. It will hold you to your word." Frodo stated. Gollum started getting excited.

"Yes … on the preciousss. On the preciousss." He started weeping. But Sam and Naruto sensed a trick.

"I don't believe you!" Sam yelled, as Gollum backed away looking frightened by Sam's outburst, and climbs onto a boulder. "Get down! I said, down!" Sam jerked strongly on the rope as Gollum tries to crawl away from him. He crashes onto the ground, choking.

"Sam!" Frodo was horrified by Sam's actions. Sam spun on Frodo.

"He's trying to trick us! We let him go he'll throttle us in our sleep!" Naruto nodded in agreement.

"I agree. It's a bad idea." Gollum lay panting and holding his throat. He starts to back away as Frodo approaches him, looking cautious and distrustful.

"You know the way to Mordor?" Frodo asks him, quietly. Gollum nods warily.

"Yes…"

"You've been there before?" Frodo stated, matter-of-factly. Gollum nodded again, wondering where Frodo was going with these questions. Sam and Naruto was intrigued as well.

"Yes." Satisfied with Gollum's answers, Frodo reached out and took the rope noose off Gollum's neck. Gollum, Sam and Naruto are surprised and stunned, and in Gollum's case, relieved. Frodo gives Gollum a no nonsense glare.

"You will lead us to the Black Gate." Gollum obeys and scrambles off in the direction of Morannon. Naruto and his two hobbit companions follow in his wake; with both Sam and Naruto questioning what Frodo was thinking, letting Gollum go free like that. Gollum talks to himself.

"To the Gate, to the Gate! To the Gate the masters says. Yes!"

"No! We won't go back. Not there. Not to him. They can't make us. *Gollum. Gollum.*"

"But we swore to serve the master of the precious!"

"No. Ashes and dust and thirst there is, and pits, pits, pits. And Orcses, thousands of Orcses." Naruto, who could hear better than anybody because of the Kyuubi's influence, raised an eyebrow, creeped out. _Maybe he's schizophrenic?_

"And always the Great Eye, watching, watching." Gollum clutches his head like had a bad headache, before he turns and looks at the hobbits and Naruto, and screams. Then Gollum turns and books it.

"Hey! Come back now! Come back!" Sam and Naruto run after him, but because they don't know the area; they lose him easily. "There! What did I tell you? He's run off, the old villain." Naruto nods, looking grim.

"So much for his promises." Suddenly, Gollum reappears; looking a lot more chipper than he did before he screamed at them and ran off. Naruto scratched his head, looking confused. _Yep, definitely schizophrenia…_

"This way Hobbitses and scary fox! Follow me!" Naruto paled, just as Frodo and Sam frowned and mouthed 'scary fox' at each other before glancing at Naruto.

"What did he mean by 'scary fox'?" Frodo asked, warily. Naruto chuckled nervously.

"Who knows?" Naruto replied, before he quickly darted after Gollum.

* * *

A band of Uruk-hai marched across the plains, with two hobbits and a young girl bound to the backs of three Uruk-hai. The two hobbits were Merry and Pippin; both tired, hungry and extremely frightened. While the girl, whose name was Sakura – a powerful kunoichi – had awoken from her unconscious state and was realising what had happened, started feigning unconsciousness; and mentally attempted to figure out a strategy to release both herself and her hobbit charges from where they were being taken. She prayed that Aragorn and the others were following them. Pippin tries to call out to Merry, who is unconscious with a nasty looking gash on his right eyebrow.

"Merry. Merry!" Pippin receives no reply from him. Suddenly, an Uruk-hai puts up his hand and signals a stop. Two Orcs emerge and address one of the Uruk-hai, who had become the leader when the last one was decapitated and killed by Aragorn.

"You're late. Our master grows impatient. He wants the Shire-rats now." Another Uruk approaches him.

"I don't take orders from Orc-maggots. Saruman will have his prize. We will deliver them!" While they were having their discussion about their fates, an oblivious Pippin was more concerned about Merry, who didn't look at all well. Pippin panicked.

"Merry! Merry! Wake up!" He turns to a nearby Uruk, who is swigging from a waterskin. Pippin tries to appeal to him. "My friends are sick! They need water. Please!" He begs, desperately. The Uruk-hai leader overheads and comes over to investigate. He chuckles cruelly.

"Sick, huh? Give them some medicine, boys!" The Uruk-hai manhandle both Merry and Sakura, who jolts 'awake' in surprise, as one of the Uruks force open their mouths and pours a sticky red liquid into them. Merry chokes, while Sakura fights savagely and glares angrily at the Uruk-hai forcing her to drink the foul tasting liquid.

"Stop it!" Pippin yells. But he is ignored. The Uruks laugh at Merry and Pippin's despair, and were not at all intimidated by Sakura's bravado. Merry finally stops coughing and sits up, blinking in the late afternoon sunlight like a newborn.

"Can't take his draught!" The leader crowed. Pippin scowls at him, angrily.

"Leave him alone!" The leader turns to Pippin, unamused by Pippin's anger.

"Why? You want some?" Pippin paled. "Huh?" The hobbit shook his head, fearfully. "Then keep your mouth shut." Pippin nodded, and turned his attention towards Merry and brightened with relief when Sakura made signs that she was alive and turned to look at her charges with concern.

"Merry! Sakura!"

"Hello, Pip." Merry croaked.

"Pippin, are you alright?" Sakura asked, automatically shifting into medic-nin mode. Pippin nodded, and focused upon Merry's bloodied eyebrow with worry.

"You're hurt." Pippin sounded extremely worried, and Merry smiled appreciatively.

"I'm fine. It was just an act." He lied to reassure his best friend, who frowned disapprovingly back at him.

"An act?"

"See? I fooled you too." Merry laughed out loud, so that the Uruk-hai wouldn't get suspicious and decide to attack them both. "Don't worry about me, Pippin." Suddenly, one of the Uruk-hai stiffened, catching the attention of the leader.

"What is it? What do you smell?" The Uruk sniffs the air, and growls.

"Man-flesh." Pippin brightened immediately, all was not lost. Sakura mentally cheered, knowing that all her hoping and praying had paid off.

"Aragorn…" Pippin whispered to himself, quietly, and Sakura grinned at him. The second Uruk curses, and turns to the band of Uruk-hai.

"They've picked up our trail! Let's move!" The Uruk-hai continue marching, picking up their pace. Pippin struggled to reach his Elven brooch with his teeth. He then tears it off his cloak and drops it on the ground. A foot steps onto the brooch, but it remains unbroken and visible on the grass.

* * *

A few miles back, Aragorn lies with his eyes closed and his ear pressed to a nearby boulder, listening for the sound of footsteps. Sasuke stands not too far away, observing the ranger with interest. It was uncanny how similar the tracking skills of this ranger was to the way the Shinobi did back in the Elemental Nations.

"Well?" Sasuke inquires, rather impatiently. Aragorn ignores the tone, but answers Sasuke's question.

"Their pace has quickened." Aragorn looks up. "They must have caught our scent." He turns and looks at Sasuke, and at Legolas who had just come up to them. "Hurry!" Aragorn takes off, with Sasuke close behind. Legolas turns and looks back at Gimli.

"Come on, Gimli!" And races off after the Ranger, and the two young shinobi. Gimli pauses in his steps and huffs.

"Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." He runs after his companions … and frowns when he remembers the shinobi consuming something unusual. "Although, Sasuke consumed some strange green stones and miraculously recovered. That is a mystery in its self." The four hunters run across rocks and plains, with Aragorn in the lead; followed in order by Sasuke, Legolas and Gimli. Legolas and Sasuke were on par with each other in terms of speed and agility, and rarely tired. But Legolas still looked back from time to time, to make sure that Gimli was keeping up. Eventually, Aragorn came upon Pippin's brooch and picks it up. He holds it up for Legolas and Sasuke to see.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." Aragorn stated, frowning critically at the brooch.

"So, they may yet be alive?" Sasuke asked.

"It a certainty." Legolas agreed. Aragorn straightened up and turned to carry on running.

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come!" He takes off running, with Sasuke at his heels. Gimli stumbles from behind some rocks and rolls to the ground. Legolas holds back an amused chuckle.

"Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!" He declared. Gimli glared at him.

"I am wasted on cross-country!" He growled indignantly. "We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!" The trackers come over a hill and pause as they gaze across the plains below. Aragorn pauses to catch his breath, and Gimli silently gives thanks.

"Rohan. Home of the Horse-lords." He frowned. "There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." Legolas runs ahead and looks out to the horizon. "Legolas, what do your Elf eyes see?" Aragorn asked.

"The Uruks turn northeast." His blue eyes widened in dismay, fear and anger. "They're taking the hobbits and Sakura to Isengard!" He announced with despair.

Aragorn grimaced. "Saruman."

Sasuke looked troubled, as he nimbly jumps off the boulder he was perched upon next to Aragorn and quickly follows the ranger deeper into the realm.

* * *

A Rohan village is being attacked and pillaged, and the villagers try to escape the on-coming pillage. A woman, known as Morwen, with her hand on a horse's saddle, calls out to her children.

"Éothain! Éorthain!" A teenage boy, no older than Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura rushes up to his mother, carrying supplies. "You take your sister." Morwen finishes fastening up the saddle and Éorthain immediately pulls himself up onto the saddle. "You'll go faster with just two." A little girl of perhaps 10 or 11 starts to complain as her mother picks her up and puts her onto the horse in front of her brother.

"Papa says Éorthain must not ride Garulf, he is too big for him!" But Morwen had no time for this.

"Listen to me. You must ride to Edoras and raise the alarm. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Ma!" Éorthain replies, hastily. His sister suddenly realises that their mother isn't coming with them and begins to cry.

"I don't wanna leave! I don't wanna go, mama!" Morwen can feel her heart breaking, but knows that this was the only way to sound the alarm. She cups her daughter's face and tries to soothe her.

"Freda, I will find you there…" She is cut off by a woman's scream. Morwen's eyes widened in alarm. "Quickly!" Her children ride off. Morwen looks after them, tears building up in her eyes. "Go child!" Dunlanders and Uruk-hai enter the village, burning everything in sight as the Rohirrim scream and run in all directions. Éorthain and Freda weep as they look at their village from a distance.

* * *

On the banks of the Isen river, bodies of men and horses lie in the rain. Men on horseback approach. Their leader is the King's nephew, Éomer, guides his horse forward.

"Théodred." He whispers, fearing the worst before he addresses his men. "Find the King's son!" Immediately, Rohan soldiers dismount and start turning over bodies. Éomer is a handsome Prince; tall and holds himself up regally dressed head to toe in expensive battle armour in rich reds, greens and golds. He had long golden hair, like most of the men living in Rohan wore and piercing celery green eyes. He dismounts from his horse, and starts walking around helping his men search for his missing cousin. One rider despairs.

"Mordor will pay for this!" He vowed, angrily. Éomer shares his anger, but notices something different about these particular orcs.

"These Orcs are not from Mordor." He stated and kicked over a dead Orc, revealing a white handprint on its armour. Suddenly,

"My Lord Éomer. Over here!" yells another Rider and Éomer immediately rushes over to the rider and gently pulls back the body, revealing a handsome young man with muddied dirty blonde hair, dressed in the same style of armour as Éomer, and had several nasty looking wounds on his face and body. The Prince is barely breathing.

"He's alive!" Éomer rejoiced. Yes, the Prince was still alive… for now. The group of horsemen ride to Edoras. Éomer is in the lead, carrying a gravely wounded Théodred. A beautiful young woman with very long golden hair, blue eyes and wearing a brown and crème medieval dress runs hastily up the stairs to the Golden Hall and enters a bedchamber. She is Éowyn; Éomer's sister, Théodred's cousin and a Princess of Rohan who had a secret that only she, her brother and her Uncle knew. She runs up to her cousin's bed, looking extremely worried.

"Théodred!" Her cousin stirs for a second, hearing her call but passes out soon after from the immense pain. He has a blood gash on the side of his head. Éomer nods to his sister in the direction of Théodred's torso, and she immediately pulls back the covers. She grimaces when she sees Théodred's fatal wound, and her lips tighten and eyes close. She looks up to catch Éomer's eye. He stares back solemnly. A short time later, Éomer and Éowyn are speaking to their uncle, Théoden-king who sits motionless on his throne, wizened, and aged beyond his years.

"Your son is badly wounded, my Lord." Éowyn stated, grimly.

"He was ambushed by Orcs." Éomer reported. "If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force."

"That is a lie!" A pale-skinned man with long, greasy looking hair and dressed head to toe in black, appears from the shadows. His name was Gríma Wormtongue, the King's advisor; but unknown to the King and his court, was actually spy to Saruman. His presence was not welcomed by either Éomer or Éowyn. "Saruman the White has ever been our friend and ally."

"Gríma…" The King mumbled feebly. "Gríma…" Wormtongue leans down close to the King. "My son…? Gríma…?"

"Orcs are roaming freely across our lands." Éomer continues. "Unchecked. Unchallenged. Killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Saruman." He dumps a helmet onto the ground, which topples over to reveal the white hand of Saruman. Wormtongue glares at Éomer, before he smirks and returns his attention to the King, while he talks to Éomer.

"Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see? Your uncle is wearied by your malcontent, your war-mongering." Éomer's eyes flashed.

"War-mongering?" Éomer immediately grabs Wormtongue and pins him against a nearby pillar. "How long is it since Saruman brought you?" Wormtongue's eyes widened in shock. So Éomer had discovered his identity as a mole, huh? _Oh, no. This just won't do. I need to dispose of him…_ "What was the promised price, Gríma? When all the men are dead you will take your share of the treasure?" Wormtongue's eyes flick to the right, at the retreating Éowyn, watching as she walked by. Éowyn stops to stare back at the pair for a moment before departing from the hall. Éomer jerks Wormtongue's attention back to him and clutches his hand around Wormtongue's jaw. "Too long have you watched my sister. Too long have you haunted her steps!" Wormtongue panicked until he suddenly looks to the left and relaxes as his thugs pull Éomer off him.

"You see much, Éomer, Son of Éomund. Too much." Wormtongue smirks as his thugs punch Éomer in the stomach. "You are banished forthwith from the Kingdom of Rohan, and all its domains. Under pain of death!" Éomer wheezed from being slugged in the stomach by Wormtongue's thugs.

"You have no authority here. Your orders mean nothing!" He struggled against the restraining hands holding him back. Wormtongue adopts a falsely sympathetic expression.

"This order does not come from me. It comes from the King." Éomer's eyes widen in shock. "He signed it this morning." Wormtongue gives Éomer an oily grin as the guards take Éomer away.

"ARGH!" Éomer screams.

* * *

 **A/N: What will happen next I wonder? If you haven't seen the movie or read the book, just wait and see when the next chapter is uploaded.**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Just A Little Bit Of Rohan Hospitality

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus. But I've made up for it by giving you a long chapter update. Hope it comes up to snuff! :D**

 **Many thanks to** _ **stargazing-sweetie**_ **for reviewing! And good on ya for being the first! ;) And to all the other reviewers for donating their time to read this. And thanks to all those who have chosen to favourite and follow this story. It good to know that my writing doesn't suck! :D**

 **WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CHAPTER: Aragorn et al are still tracking down the Uruk-hai; Merry, Sakura and Pippin find themselves in a dangerous position; Aragorn et al meet some of the locals in Rohan, and decide to take a detour where they reunite with an unexpected, but dearly missed ally.**

 _ **Naruto**_ **© Masashi Kishimoto and** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **© J.R.R Tolkien. I don't own or have any affiliation with both works of fiction. Please review responsibly and constructively. NO FLAMES WILL BE APPRECIATED!**

* * *

 **(A/N: (05/06/2019) This chapter is one of the edited chapters, due to my spontaneous change in the last chapter in _'The Prophecy of Team Seven'_. Thanks for your patience.)**

* * *

 **JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ROHAN HOSPITALITY**

" _Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws."_ _ **~Douglas Adams: 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.'**_

The Uruk-hai and Orcs continue to march across the plains with their hobbit captives and their female protector, with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke hot on their tail. Sasuke looked behind at Gimli who seemed to be wheezing and looking extremely flushed and uncomfortable.

"Keep breathing! That's the key! Breathe! Ho!" Gimli continued to encourage himself as the small motley crew of four continued running over the vast distances. Legolas frowned.

"They've run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them."

* * *

The Uruk-hai and Orcs halt at nightfall, many of them panting with exertion. One of the Orcs glared up at the Uruk-hai leader.

"We're not going no further till we've had a breather!" The leader growled before relenting.

"Get a fire going!" He ordered, reluctantly. With the Orcs and Uruk-hai distracted with their own needs and getting firewood to create a fire, Pippin uses the opportunity to crawl over to Merry with Sakura following, keeping track of the Uruk-hai and Orcs so they didn't make any sudden moves towards them.

"Merry! Merry!" Pippin whispered frantically. Merry stirred, and looked at his friends with regret reflected in his eyes.

"I think …" Merry hesitated, and Pippin watches him worriedly as he struggles to speak his mind. "I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin." Merry mused sadly. All three of them suddenly jerked their heads towards the sounds of low groaning and rumbles starting to emerge from the forest as the group of Orcs gathering firewood started chopping down the trees.

"What's making that noise?" Pippin glanced about fearfully. Merry struggled to sit up as best as he could with his tightly bound hands and feet as he looked towards the forest, eyes widening in recognition.

"I think it's the trees." Sakura breathed in wonder. Pippin frowned at her, and glanced over at Merry, who nodded in agreement with Sakura's observation.

"What?"

"Do you remember the Old Forest? On the borders of Buckland?" Merry asked him, but powered on with his explanation before Pippin had a chance to respond. "Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall … and come alive." Pippin eyed the forest with trepidation.

"Alive?" He squeaked. Merry nodded.

"Trees that could whisper. Talk to each other. Even move." He insisted. Sakura frowned, looking sceptical.

"That can't be possible. Somebody was having you on, probably teasing you." She insisted. None of them realised that the Orcs and Uruk-hai had regrouped and were planning their next movement. One of the Uruk-hai, Maúhur, snarled in frustration.

"I'm starving." He grumbled. "We ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!" The others agreed, as he threw down the morsel.

"Yeah." Another of the Uruk-hai, Snaga, piped up. "Why can't we have some meat?" Then his eyes zeroed in on Merry and Pippin who paled, and Sakura who frowned and discreetly dug around in her thigh pack for a kunai as best she could with her hands bound with rope; rightfully anticipating that they would be targeted for something. Snaga's eyes lit up. "What about them? They're fresh." He pondered and started advancing towards them. The Uruk-hai leader, Uglúk, intercepted; shoving him back roughly.

"They are not for eating!" He snarled. Grishnákh, a shifty looking Uruk-hai, stepped forward, his beady eyes focused upon Merry and Pippin's legs.

"What about their legs?" Both hobbits glanced down at their legs and back up at him, and cringed with fear. "They don't need those." Grishnákh licked his chops. "Ooh … they look tasty!" Uglúk shoved him and the other orcs back.

"Get back, scum!" He ordered. His commands fall on deaf ears as the orcs and Uruk-hai are getting restless.

"Carve them up!" One of the braver Mordor Orcs called out. During the commotion, Snaga moved towards the hobbits, who attempted unsuccessfully to back away from the advancing orc. He raises his blade.

"Just a mouth full…" He mumbled. Sakura kicked out at the orc.

"Maintain your distance!" She warned, fiercely, trying to herd the frightened hobbits behind her. Sakura, Merry and Pippin were unexpectedly saved by Uglúk.

"No!" He yelled and rescues them from certain death, much to their astonishment … when quickly turns to horror when Uglúk jumps on Snaga and slices off his head with one arc of his blade. Snaga's head bounces off the hobbits' shoulders, and both Merry and Pippin turn a nasty shade of green. Uglúk smirks.

"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" He loudly announces. The Uruk-hai and Orcs cheered and immediately pounces upon the fresh corpse, tearing into the flesh, and shoving aside Merry, Pippin and Sakura in their haste to eat their first 'real' meal in three days. The hobbits and Sakura make a break for it.

"Pippin, let's go." Merry urges Pippin who agrees.

"Sakura?" Pippin whispers, timidly.

"Keep moving! I'm right behind you." Sakura reassures the younger of the two hobbits as she uses her kunai to slice off the thick rope binding her hands together. With their hands still bound, the hobbits try to crawl away. Suddenly a foot comes down on Merry and both he and Pippin are turned onto their backs. "HEY!?" Sakura snarled, and advanced towards a snarling Grishnákh, who was brandishing a blade in front of Pippin's face and ignoring Sakura; obviously believing her to be weak because she was a woman.

"Go on." He threatens. "Call for help. Squeal! No one's gonna save you now!" He promises. Suddenly, a spear pierces the Orc's back. Mayhem ensues as the Riders of Rohan burst out from out of the shadows in a gallop and ambushes the Orcs.

"Pippin!" Merry shouts.

Sakura's eyes widen in astonishment, then anxiety as she helps Merry untie his binds. She looks around for Pippin and relaxes when she sees him cutting the rope around his wrists with a half-buried axe. Merry gestures for them to make their escape and both hobbits and Sakura try to escape from the pandemonium to the forest, dodging bodies and stomping feet, as Sakura backs them up; using her shinobi training to protect not only them but herself. Suddenly, Pippin trips and turns onto his back and sees a pair of thrashing hooves baring down on him. His eyes widen in fear.

"ARGH!" Pippin screams out in terror.

* * *

Dawn breaks over the Rohan plains. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke are still chasing after the Uruk-hai. Suddenly, Legolas pauses and looks up at the sky, frowning. Sasuke stops and approaches him, concerned by the grave expression on the youthful elven prince's face.

"Legolas?" He asked, alert. The elf shakes his head, dismissively, trying not to worry the younger male despite the fact that Sasuke had proven that he was more than capable of defending himself in a fight to the death if it came down to it.

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night." Sasuke's eyes narrow.

"You don't think…"

"Let's us hope not." Legolas agrees, as he gestures for Sasuke to continue running. The avenger hoped that Legolas' cryptic words didn't mean what he suspected, and hoped that Sakura was alright as well as Merry and Pippin. As the day wore on, Aragorn and the company suddenly hear the sound of horses. Quickly, they hide behind some boulders as the Riders of Rohan suddenly ride through with their banners flying. Aragorn steps out from behind the boulder when the last rider rides past followed by the rest, albeit a little uncertainly.

"Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" He called out. Éomer, who was in the lead, makes a signal and quickly turns and heads towards them. Within seconds the four travellers were surrounded in an ever-tightening circle. As they stop, the riders point their spears menacingly at them.

"What business does an Elf, two men, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" He demands. Gimli spoke first.

"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine." Éomer scowls at him and hands his spear to another rider before dismounting his horse. Aragorn puts a hand on Gimli's shoulder.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." There were several reactions to this threat. Legolas, in a lightning fast move, points an arrow at Éomer, and Sasuke looked pissed at the slight against his friend.

"You would die before your stroke fell!" Legolas promised. The riders all point their spears closer at the travellers. After a tense moment, Aragorn pushes down Legolas' arm and gives Sasuke a stern warning look before turning and calmly addressing Éomer.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn." Aragorn turns towards his companions. "This is Gimli, son of Glóin, Legolas of the Woodland realm, and Sasuke of the Elemental Nations." Éomer raised an eyebrow regarding where Sasuke hailed from. Aragorn continued before the Rohan Prince could inquire. "We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king." Éomer sighed sadly.

"Théoden no longer recognises friend from foe." He reaches up and removes his helmet. "Not even his own kin." He reports to a surprised Aragorn, who is disturbed by the news about the King. Éomer's riders, realising that their prince and leader viewed the travellers as not a threat, lowered their spears.

"Care to elaborate?" Sasuke piped up, gaining Éomer's attention.

"Sasuke…" Aragorn gently admonished him. But Éomer raised a hand.

"No, it's alright. If you are friends of Rohan and our king, you deserve the right to know the truth." He nodded towards Sasuke, recognising a sense of authority within the youth; despite the fact that Aragorn was the unofficial leader of their band of hunters. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed the lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan." Éomer gestured to the riders still waiting obediently for their orders. "And for that we are banished." He speaks to them with a cautionary tone. "The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked." He takes a step back and casts a suspicious gaze at all four of them. "And everywhere his spies slip past our nets." Sasuke bristled, causing Aragorn to place a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken three of our friends captive." He explained to Éomer patiently. The Rohan prince froze.

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits, and a girl about my age. Did you see two hobbits and a girl with them?" Sasuke demanded, urgently. Aragorn nodded in agreement.

"The hobbits would be small – only children to your eyes. The girl would've had pink hair." He explained. Éomer hesitated, even raising an eyebrow at the description of Sakura's unusual hair colour.

"We left none alive." He stated, reluctantly. "We piled the carcasses and burned them." Éomer pointed off in the distance towards a billowing smoke cloud. Sasuke shot him an accusing glare and Aragorn and Legolas looked back at him with grave expressions of their faces, while Gimli looked horrified.

"Dead?" Gimli squeaked. Éomer nodded solemnly.

"I am sorry." He said, sincerely. Sasuke swore underneath his breath and turned away out of anger and despair as Aragorn placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Legolas mimicked the action with Gimli. Éomer turned and whistled. "Hasufel! Arod! Fréaor!" Three horses approached Éomer who handed their reins to Aragorn, Legolas and Sasuke. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters." He said, before bowing a little. "Farewell." Éomer puts his helmet back on and mounts his horse, turning it north. He addresses the travellers again. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands." He advised before addressing his riders. "We ride north!" Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke look on as the Riders go off. Then Aragorn turns towards his companions.

"Come." He mounts Hasufel, a chestnut brown horse and Sasuke mounts Fréaor. Legolas helps Gimli up on Arod, then nimbly swung himself up and onto the saddleless horse before the three horses set off towards the smoke cloud.

* * *

It was not a pretty sight.

The three horses galloped up to the site of a smouldering pile of charred Uruk-hai and Orc carcasses. An unfortunate Uruk-hai had had its head impaled upon a spike, as a clear warning to other Uruks who may venture in that part of the land. Gimli and Sasuke dismounted their horses and started sifting through the pile, while Legolas helped Aragorn search around for any possible signs or clues to their hobbit friends and Sakura. Sasuke made a grim discovery as he pulls out a charred belt and dagger sheath.

"Shit…" He muttered, angrily. Gimli came over and took the charred item from Sasuke.

"It's one of their wee belts." He announced. Legolas bowed his head and recited a prayer in elvish.

 _ **"Hiro ith… ab 'wanath… (May they find peace in death.)"**_ He mumbled. Aragorn kicked a helmet in his frustration letting out an extremely loud scream of pain and anguish.

"We failed them." Gimli stated, his voice breaking slightly. Suddenly, Sasuke spoke up; his voice full of hope.

"Aragorn." The ranger glanced over at the younger male, and got to his feet; approaching him. "I think I found something." Sasuke reported to him. Aragorn was about to dismiss Sasuke's discovery as wishful thinking when something else catches his attention.

"A hobbit lay here, and the other, and something slightly larger lay between them." Aragorn stated, frowning a little in amazement as he glanced at Sasuke questioningly. "How did you know that?" He demanded. Sasuke stared back at him emotionlessly.

"I'm a self-taught tracker." Sasuke replied succinctly, but gave no other information. Aragorn nodded, accepting the answer before his eyes noticed something else: tracks. He starts following them.

"Their hands were bound." Aragorn stated in a monotone voice. Sasuke follows him closely, causing Gimli and Legolas to follow them both. "Their bonds were cut." Aragorn holds up some broken length of rope.

"They ran over here." Sasuke pointed out, and Aragorn nodded in agreement.

"And they were followed." The ranger added. Aragorn finds another belt like the one Sasuke and Gimli had found in the smouldering ashes. Hope was rekindled.

"These tracks lead away from the battle…" Sasuke yelled over his shoulder and was jerked unceremoniously to a stop by Aragorn. The avenger immediately broke free from Aragorn's grasp, but the ranger barely noticed. A grim expression was on his face.

"Into Fangorn Forest." He stated with dread. Both Gimli and Legolas' faces were pained.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked, confused by how fearful Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli looked.

"Fangorn. What madness drove them in there?" Gimli questioned, rhetorically. Sasuke snorted with disbelief.

"What's so bad about a forest?" He wanted to know.

* * *

Merry and Pippin stumbled over large tree roots, followed by Sakura who was attempting to defend the more vulnerable hobbits from the Orc who was tracking them. The hobbits slipped on moss and old leaves in their desperation to avoid a ravenous Grishnákh. Breathing hard from exhaustion, Pippin looks around.

"Did we lose him?" Merry glances around too. "I think we lost him." Pippin confirmed. Sakura didn't relax and rolled her eyes when both started laughing with relief, then they froze when Grishnákh bursts into view, brandishing a blade.

"I'm gonna rip out your filthy little innards." He promised, causing the hobbits to pale and glance at each other before running behind the nearest tree.

"Run!" Sakura yelled, flinging some senbon at the orc which connected, causing him to grunt; but it didn't slow him down.

"Trees!" Merry exclaimed. "Climb a tree!" He urged his friend, and both immediately clamber up the first tree they see. Sakura channelled chakra to the soles of her feet and run up the tree trunk perching on the same branch as Pippin. Sagging with relief, both hobbits believe that they are safe from Grishnákh's grasp. "He's gone." Merry sighed. Then without warning, Merry is suddenly pulled by his legs and falls to the ground.

"No!" Sakura yelled in fear and jumped down from the tree to intercept Grishnákh who leans over him with his menacing blade. Merry tries to kick him away, but fails miserably and all Pippin could do was watching this with horror.

"Merry!" He screamed helplessly. But as he turns his head, he spots a pair of gleaming yellow eyes blinking in the tree he's clinging to. The tree starts to move and groan. "ARGGGH!" Horrified, Pippin loses his grip in fright and grabs at the air futilely as he fell. The 'tree' catches him before he hits the ground. Grishnákh is oblivious to the happenings behind him, so intent on gutting Merry. But both Merry and Sakura notice, and are frozen in shock.

"Let's put a maggot-hole in your belly." Grishnákh leers at Merry whose eyes widen in shock at the moving tree behind the orc. Grishnákh realises something is behind him and he looks up. The 'tree' stomps down on him, squashing him on the forest floor. Merry narrowly avoids the same fate. Pippin shouts down at his friend from the 'tree's' right hand.

"Run!" He pleads and both Merry and Sakura don't need telling twice, as they try to run away but are easily scooped up by the 'tree'. Pippin is transferred to the 'tree's' left hand, as Merry and Sakura find themselves in the right hand staring into the eyes of the 'tree' in both horror and astonishment as it looks back at them with both anger and curiosity.

"Little Orcs! _Burárum_ …" The 'tree' rumbled. Pippin blinks at the 'tree' with wonder.

"It's talking, Merry. The tree is talking!" He tells Merry. The 'tree' immediately looks offended with Pippin's observation.

"Tree!? I am no tree. I am an Ent." The tree stomped slowly through the forest. Merry's eyes widen in amazement.

"A treeherder! A shepherd of the forest!" Merry exclaimed. Pippin starts panicking, not wanting to piss off or encourage the Ent any further.

"Don't talk to it, Merry. Don't encourage it." Pippin pleaded, nervously. The Ent introduced himself.

"Treebeard, some call me."

"And whose side are you on?" Sakura asked cautiously. Treebeard frowned with confusion.

"Side? I am on nobody's side because nobody's on my side, little Orc." Treebeard explained, sounding rather bitter. "Nobody cares for the woods anymore." Merry gestured frantically.

"We're not Orcs." Sakura attempted to explain, wincing when Treebeard suddenly tightened his grip on the three of them. "I'm a human. They are hobbits!" She insisted. Treebeard studied both her and the hobbits curiously.

"I've heard of manfolk before." He acknowledged Sakura's description of herself, but frowned at Merry and Pippin. "But hobbits? Never heard of a hobbit before." Treebeard admitted, looking thoughtful – or so both hobbits assumed, since they couldn't tell underneath all the moss and leaves and bark that made up the Ent – before his expression turned formidable. "Sounds like Orc mischief to me!" He tightened his hold on both hobbits and Sakura, and squeezes them. They whimpered in pain. "They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning! Destroyers and usurpers, curse them!" Treebeard raged.

"No, you don't understand." Merry attempted to state both his and Pippin's case. "We're hobbits… Halflings! Shirefolk!" Merry shrieked in pain when Treebeard continued tightening his grip. Treebeard shrugged.

"Maybe you are and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know." He told them. Pippin's eyes widened in horror.

"The White Wizard?" Pippin stated, and glanced over at Merry.

"Saruman…" Merry whispered. Treebeard dropped them to the ground, with the hobbits landing with an 'oof' and Sakura landing cat-like on the moss and leaf strewn ground and massaging her aching limbs. Both hobbits looked up at the 'White Wizard' Treebeard had brought them to. They gasped in disbelief, drawing Sakura's attention and she looked up and tears sprang to her eyes.

"It can't be…" She breathed, as a shaky smile spread across her face.

* * *

Naruto eyed Gollum suspiciously as he, Frodo and Sam continued following the creature though the twisted maze that was Emyn Muil. Eventually, they reach the end and see that Mordor is now much closer.

"See, see. We have led you out! Hurry hobbitses and scary fox, hurry. Very lucky we find you." Gollum exclaimed excitedly as he jumps on a rock. Naruto grimaced at the nickname Gollum had unwittingly bestowed him.

"Could you not call me that?" He grumbled, as Frodo walks past him. Naruto couldn't but feel slightly amused when Gollum shrinks as both he and Sam draw near. He couldn't deny it; he didn't trust Gollum at all, and he was positive that Sam agreed with him with that assessment. Which was strange for him, as he, as a rule, generally got along with most people he met. Gollum appeared to ignore him.

"Nice hobbit." He addresses Sam, while eyeing Frodo with unnatural interest. Naruto discreetly and deliberately falls into step beside his friend, with the intention of foiling whatever scheme Gollum might be concocting at that point. Suddenly, they hear a splash and both Naruto and Frodo glanced back towards Sam who had slipped into muck.

"Woah!" Sam recoiled with disgust, then glanced around him. "It's a bog! He's led us into a swamp!" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"That explains the weird smell…" He muttered, and swatted down to study the cloudy brown water surrounding them. Frodo looked apprehensive, but Gollum shrugged; unconcerned.

"A swamp, yes, yes. Come, master." Gollum addresses Frodo – apparently the only one Gollum trusted – "We will take you on safe paths through the mist." Gollum explained. "Come, come. We go quickly." Gollum gestured for Frodo, Sam and Naruto to follow. "I found it, I did. The way through the marshes. Orcs don't use it. Orcs don't know it. They go round for miles and miles." Gollum stated, sounding proud of himself. He turned and grinned excitedly, eager to help. "Come quickly. Swift and quick as shadows we must be." Naruto smirked. _That's the only way I know how to roll…_ He thought, as he helped Frodo and Sam manoeuvre over a particularly difficult and slippery part of the marsh land. Eventually, they stop to rest. Naruto, Frodo and Sam snack on some of the Lembas Bread Sam had rationed away for them, while Gollum hunts around for his own meal. The strange creature eventually finds a worm and sucks it down like a Ramen Noodle.

"Do you mind!?" Naruto bitched with distaste as he and Sam watched Gollum chew and swallow the worm. Sam loses his appetite.

"I hate this place." Sam observed, miserably. "It's too quiet. There's been no sight nor sound of a bird for two days." Gollum looks at Sam with interest.

"No, no birdses to eat. No crunchable birdses." Gollum moans unhappily. Naruto groans.

"And with that image, lunch is finished…" The blonde shinobi stated, throwing a half-eaten piece of the Lembas back into their stash and getting to his feet to stretch his limbs.

"We are famished! Yes! Famished we are, precious." Gollum whined pitifully. Sam and Naruto exchanged glances and rolled their eyes. Frodo throws Gollum a piece of his Lembas.

"Here." Gollum picks it up and examines it eagerly.

"What does it eats? Is it tasty?" He pops the bread into his mouth and chews a little before spitting it back out, choking on it. "Aggh! It tries to chokes us! We can't eats Hobbit food! We must starve!" Gollum moans and sinks to the ground, looking rather pathetic.

"Well starve then!" Sam snaps. "And good riddance!" Gollum glowers at Sam.

"Oh! Cruel Hobbit! It does not care if we be hungry. It does not care if we should die." Gollum stated in a 'woe-is-me' tone. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the spectacle Gollum was making of himself. "Not like Master. Master cares. Master knows." Gollum fawned over Frodo who stopped mid-chew to eye Gollum suspiciously and reaches up to clutch protectively at the Ring. Naruto frowned. "Yes, precious. Once it takes hold of us it never lets go." Gollum tells Frodo matter-of-factly. He then reaches towards Frodo, but before he could make contact, Naruto intercepted Gollum; grabbing the creature's wrist tightly. Gollum flinched slightly, shocked by how fast Naruto was.

"Don't touch him." Naruto warned Gollum with a 'back off' look in his cerulean blue eyes. He released Gollum's wrist and the creature backed away with fear and a little resentment. The marsh lands stretched for miles and miles as far as the eye can see. The hobbits, Naruto and Gollum pick their way through the marshes. Suddenly, Naruto spots something unusual in the water and moves to take a closer look. There, floating in the water, still rotting and pale, were faces and – even weirder – flickering flames on the swamps. He recoils in horror.

"Holy shit!" Naruto hollers, backpedalling away and drawing both Frodo and Sam's attention. Sam rushes over to his friend's side.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" He asked, with concern. Naruto was too stunned to reply, and Sam went over and looked before yelling in horror.

"There are dead things! Dead faces in the water!" Sam exclaimed. Gollum glanced at the floating faces with little interest.

"All dead. All rotten. Elves and men and Orceses. A great battle long ago." He turns towards them. "The Dead Marshes. Yes, yes that is their name." Gollum explained, grimly, before moving off in a different direction. "This way. Don't follow the lights." He warned ominously. Sam's foot slips into the water again, causing Naruto to grab him with his quick reflexes.

"Ohh!" Sam yelled with fright, grabbing Naruto tightly.

"Careful now, or hobbits and scary fox go down to join the dead ones and light little candles of their own." Naruto growled once again at the nickname, failing to notice that Frodo is drawn to one of the faces in Elven armour. He stares at it curiously, until it suddenly opens its eyes and Frodo face-plants into the water. Naruto turns towards him in alarm.

"Shit!" Naruto swore and darts towards his friend.

"Frodo!" yells Sam. Naruto dives into the water and swims towards Frodo, who is struggling feebly. The blonde seizes Frodo under the armpits and kicks forcefully to the surface. Frodo sputters and gasps for air as Naruto pulls himself and the frightened hobbit out of the water.

"Naruto…" Frodo looks at Naruto with gratitude and disbelief. Gollum steps towards them with an annoyed expression on his face.

" _Don't_ follow the lights!" He warns them again before crawling away. Sam scrambles towards them.

"Mr. Frodo! Are you alright?" He asked, worriedly. Frodo doesn't respond, and Naruto gets to his feet and pulls Frodo and Sam to theirs.

"He'll be fine. We've got bigger things to worry about. Namely him." Naruto indicated to Gollum. "I don't trust him." He stated. Sam nodded, frowning.

"I agree. We need to watch our backs, Mr. Frodo." Frodo still doesn't reply, still coming to terms with what happened. He stares after Gollum, warily.

* * *

Later that night, Sam is the only one sleeping. Both Naruto and Frodo are still awake; but for different reasons. Naruto was awakened by a familiar and very sinister chakra shift and realised that the Ring was awakening again. He opened his eyes and saw Frodo, who was lying in front of him, holding the Ring in the palm of his hand. He frowned when he realised Frodo was stroking it, completely mesmerised by it, and unaware that he had an audience. Naruto was about speak out to Frodo to help distract his friend from the Ring's influence when Gollum intercepted.

"Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful." Frodo flinched and immediately stuffed the Ring back inside his shirt. Naruto snaps his eyes shut before Frodo saw that he was awake, and listened as Frodo sat up and shifted slightly. Risking it, Naruto cracked open one of his eyes and saw Frodo looking over at Gollum was crouching away from them with his back to them, stroking the centre of his own palm; the exact same way Frodo had been stroking the Ring moments before. "Our preciousss…" Gollum whispered.

"What did you say?" Frodo demanded. Gollum paused.

"Master should be resting. Master needs to keep up his strength." He stated. Naruto watched Frodo move over and crouch in front of Gollum.

"Who are you?" Frodo demanded. _My thoughts exactly…_ Naruto seconded. Gollum immediately shut down.

"Mustn't ask us. Not its business. *Gollum, Gollum*" Naruto snorted. Neither Frodo nor Gollum noticed.

"Gandalf told me you were one of the River Folk." Naruto noticed Gollum stiffen slightly before continuing to stroke his palm. Frodo apparently saw this as an opportunity to continue interrogating him.

"Cold be heart and hand and bone. Cold be travellers far from home." The creature chanted cryptically.

"He said your life was a sad story." Frodo insisted. Gollum reacted as though he hadn't heard Frodo.

"They do not see what lies ahead, when the sun has failed and the moon is dead." Frodo got up from his perch and moved to face Gollum. A look of determination reflected on his face.

"You were not so very different from a hobbit once, were you … Smégol?" Gollum stopped stroking his hand and looked at Frodo in astonishment. Naruto frowned at his reaction. Just exactly how twisted was this freaky little dude to have forgotten his own name?

"What did you call me?" Gollum whispered. Frodo gave a triumphant smile.

"That was your name once, wasn't it?" He guessed. "A long time ago." Gollum hesitated.

"My name… My name… S… S… Smégol…" He was cut off abruptly when the piercing cries of Nazgûl are heard from overhead, jolting awake Sam and scaring the hell out of Naruto who cursed and instinctively withdrew a kunai from his weapon's pouch. "Argh!" Gollum screamed.

"Black Riders!" Sam shouted. Gollum scrambled for cover.

"Hide! Hide!" He urged them. Suddenly, Frodo and Naruto feel the pain of the Nazgûl's blade piercing and slicing them, and Frodo senses the call of the Ring. He whimpers.

"Argh!" Frodo yells out of fear and pain.

"C'mon Frodo! Naruto! C'mon!" Sam called from the safety of some nearby bramble. Naruto bites back the pain and scoops up the vulnerable Frodo and legs it towards the bramble as Frodo continues to clutch at the Ring on his chest, completely immobilised.

The blonde shinobi bravely shielded the more vulnerable hobbits with his body, while Gollum huddled into himself not too far away. The Nazgûl appears, flying on a snarling Fell Beast – which looks like a dragon-type creature – and tightens the reins. The Fell Beast swoops down across the Marsh lands, as the chilling screams of the Nazgûl fill the air.

"Quick! They will see us! They will see us!" Gollum panicked, as the Nazgûl shrieked again.

"Somebody needs to shut him up!" Naruto snarled, wincing as the screaming hurts his overly sensitive hearing. Sometimes it really sucked being the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. Sam cringed.

"I thought they were dead!?" He exclaimed. Gollum looked at him with disbelief.

"Dead? You can't kill them." A loud screech from the Nazgûl makes all of them cower in fear. "Wraiths! Wraiths on wings!" Gollum sobbed. Movement catches his eye and he notices Frodo groping at his shirt. "They are calling for it. They are calling for the preciousss." He tells them, fearfully. Naruto and Sam glanced over at Frodo and sees him groping for the necklace around his neck. Their eyes widen with dismay, and Naruto tightens his grip around the hobbit, while Sam seizes Frodo's hand.

"Mr. Frodo! It's alright. I'm here." Sam attempts to distract Frodo's attention away from the Ring. Naruto eyes the circling Nazgûl angrily. _Piss off, already!_ He thinks desperately. Eventually, the Nazgûl gives up and flies off towards Mordor. Naruto, Sam and Frodo breathe a sigh of relief as Gollum scrambles out from underneath the bramble.

"Hurry, hobbits! Scary fox! The Black Gate is very close." Gollum tells them. The two anxious hobbits and an irritated Naruto shuffle quickly out of the bramble and gather up their belongings. Naruto chooses to ignore the apparently permanent annoying nickname. There were more important things to worry about.

* * *

Sasuke came across a dark stain on a leaf in Fangorn Forest, during the search for Sakura, Merry and Pippin; who had escaped hours earlier from a gruesome Uruk-hai and Orc massacre orchestrated by the Riders of Rohan.

"I found something." He called out, alerting the rest. "I think it's blood…" He frowned a little and hoping that it didn't belong to Merry or Pippin, or even Sakura. Gimli, approached him and fingered the stain, bringing it to his mouth. He immediately spits it out.

"Orc blood." He confirmed, making a face at the flavour. "Well spotted, lad." Gimli complimented Sasuke who maintained a poker face. Aragorn was examining some tracks that had been made in the earth.

"These are strange tracks." He observed, frowning slightly. Gimli approaches him, looking apprehensive. There a strange, ominous atmosphere hovering around them that was almost suffocating.

"The air is so close in here." Gimli stated. Legolas jumped upon a rotting log, and scanned the area with expert eyes. After all, the forest was similar to his homeland of Mirkwood.

"This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory … and anger." Legolas stated. Groan reverberate through the forest and Gimli raises his axe instinctively. Sasuke tenses and looks unnerved by the eeriness of the ancient forest. "The trees are speaking to each other." There were more protesting groans and Aragorn glanced over to Gimli who was still holding up his axe defensively.

"Gimli!" Aragorn whispered urgently to the Dwarf.

"Huh?" Gimli glanced over at his friend.

"Lower your axe." Aragorn instructed, gesturing to the axe. Gimli frowned with confusion before realising what Aragorn was getting at and slowly lowered the axe.

"Oh!" Gimli breathed. Legolas glanced at Gimli with a serene expression on his youthful face.

"They have feelings, my friend." Legolas explained. "The Elves began it: waking up the trees, teaching them to speak." Both Gimli and Sasuke scoffed at the idea.

"Utter nonsense." Sasuke drawled. Gimli nodded in agreement.

"Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about, hmm? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings." Suddenly Legolas tensed and waved over Aragorn.

" **Aragorn,** _ **nad n**_ _ **â ennas! (Aragorn, something is out there!)**_ " Legolas warned hastily.

" _ **Man cenich? (What do you see?)**_ " Aragorn asked urgently, but calmly. Legolas' eyes shifted about, scanning the area.

"The White Wizard approaches." Legolas confirmed. Everyone was immediately alert.

"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us." Aragorn instructed as he and Sasuke wrapped their hands around the hilt of their swords. Gimli tightens his hold on his axe. Legolas notches an arrow to his bow. "We must be quick." He stated. After several beats, all four of them swung round to attack. Gimli's axe and Legolas' arrow are deflected, and both Aragorn and Sasuke drop their swords as they become red hot in their grasp. All four of them shield their eyes with their hands from the bright light emanating from the White Wizard. They are all at his mercy.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits and a young kunoichi." The White Wizard stated. Aragorn stepped forward.

"Where are they?" He demanded bravely.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" The White Wizard inquired. Aragorn frowned, angrily.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn demanded. The bright light dimmed, revealing Gandalf, all dressed in white. The four are astounded and both Gimli and Legolas bow before him, while Sasuke gapes at Gandalf. "It cannot be." Aragorn stated.

"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." Legolas apologised. Gandalf gave the Elf Prince a patient, understanding smile.

"I am Saruman." He insisted. "Or rather Saruman as he should've been." Gandalf explained. Sasuke refused to believe what he was seeing.

"But… you fell, we all saw it happen." Sasuke argued, feeling cheated. The others nodded in agreement. Gandalf nodded solemnly.

"Through fire and water." He confirmed. "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside." Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke listened as Gandalf described to them how he returned. "I've been sent back until my task is done." He stated.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn greeted him, relieved. Gandalf frowned slightly at his name.

"Gandalf? Yes… That's what they used to call me." He smiles mischievously at them all. "Gandalf the Grey. That was my name."

"Gandalf!" Gimli echoed Aragorn, tearfully. Gandalf had a mysterious twinkle in his eye.

"I am Gandalf the White." Gandalf re-introduced himself to his friends. Aragorn grinned. "And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide." Gandalf's face became very serious.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! I hope you've enjoyed this update. I promise I won't be as tardy with the next one. Until then, please review and give me your thoughts on the story so far. Please don't worry, I'm not planning on abandoning the story. I've just been deal with a few personal issues (such as my Grandma dying, and visiting relatives etc), going to work and apply for a TAFE course. TTFN**


	3. Turf War

**WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CHAPTER: Aragorn et al reunite with Gandalf, then set off with him to Edoras where they encounter a problem involving the King. Merry and Pippin are being protected by Treebeard. And Naruto, Frodo and Sam finally make it to the Black Gates of Mordor with Gollum, but encounter a bit of a setback.**

 _ **Naruto**_ **© Masashi Kishimoto and** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **© J.R.R Tolkien. I don't own or have any affiliation with both works of fiction. Please review responsibly and constructively. NO FLAMES WILL BE APPRECIATED!**

* * *

 **TURF WAR**

" _We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."  
― __**J.K. Rowling,**_ _ **Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix**_

The group of five make their way through the forest, with Gandalf in the lead.

"One stage of your journey is over, another begins." Gandalf explained gravely as he stepped over a fallen log. "War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed." Gimli raised a sceptical bushy eyebrow.

"Edoras? That is no short distance." The dwarf exclaimed. Aragorn nodded in agreement.

"We hear of trouble in Rohan." He told Gandalf. "It goes ill with the King." Gandalf nodded.

"Yes, and it will not be easily cured." He warned them.

"Then we've run all this way for nothing?" Gimli sounded annoyed. "Are we to leave these poor Hobbits and Lady Sakura here … in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested-?" He and Sasuke jumped (or in Sasuke's case tensed) when the trees all around them groaned defensively. "I mean, charming… quite charming forest." Gimli backtracked hastily. Gandalf shook his head at him, rolling his eyes.

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin, and their friend and protector, Sakura, to Fangorn." He scans the surrounding trees, absently. "A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones … that starts an avalanche in the mountains." He stated whimsically. Sasuke looked at Gandalf strangely, as Aragorn sidles up to the wizard looking amused.

"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend." Gandalf looks at him curiously. "You still speak in riddles." Aragorn stated, grinning. Both he and Gandalf laughed as the wizard gazes up and around at the canopies above their heads contemplatively.

"A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days: The Ents are going to wake up… and find that they are strong." Gandalf foretold. Gimli pales.

"Strong?!" He sounded appalled, then looked cowed when the trees groaned once again. "Oh, that's good." He responded, laughing nervously.

"So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf." Gandalf suggested with a light-hearted, no nonsense tone. "Sakura, Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be." Gandalf told him, smirking a little as he walked off along a path leading towards the edge of the Forest, everybody else in close pursuit. Gimli scowled at the wizard.

"This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one." He muttered loud enough for Sasuke to overhear as he passed him.

"Haven't noticed anything different." Sasuke stated, smirking teasingly when Gimli huffed disbelievingly and jogged to keep up with everybody else.

* * *

Outside the forest, Gandalf whistles piercingly and several seconds later an answering neigh is heard. Heads turn towards the familiar sound and a snow white horse appears from the rolling plains, making its way towards a brightly smiling Gandalf. Sasuke blinks in astonishment, as Legolas voices what they all had to be thinking at that precise moment.

"That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." The elf marvelled.

"It's definitely the last thing I expected to see, that's for sure." Sasuke agreed, as the large white stallion stepped towards Gandalf and comes to a stop in front of the wizard, who greets the animal by affectionately stroking its silvery white mane.

"Shadowfax." Gandalf introduces the horse to his companions. "He is the lord of all horses, and he's been my friend through many dangers." It only takes a few moments to summon the three other horses before the Three Hunters, Sasuke, and Gandalf ride across the rolling plains towards Rohan's capital city and kingdom of Edoras.

* * *

Back in Fangorn, Treebeard is walking with Merry, Pippin and Sakura through the forest with both hobbits are perched casually on one of the Ent's shoulders, and Sakura lounging awkwardly on the other. She still found walking and talking tree-like creatures strange and hard to deal with.

"Oh, rowan mine. I saw you shine upon a summer's day." Treebeard rumbled in his deep, booming voice. It was proving to be quite the tranquiliser for his passengers, fighting to keep their eyes open in the waning evening light. "Upon your head how golden-red the crown you bore aloft." Merry and Sakura yawned. "Such a beautiful verse." Treebeard stated happily.

"Is it much further?" Merry questioned, tiredly. Treebeard frowned slightly exasperated by the hobbit's disinterested tone.

" _Bru-ra-hroom_. Don't be hasty." He scolded him. "You might call it far perhaps." He replied, contemplatively. "My home lies deep in the forest near the roots of the mountain. I told Gandalf I would keep you safe and safe is where I'll keep you." Treebeard reminded them. Pippin shrugged, while Merry rolled his eyes and tried to make himself a little more comfortable against Pippin's shoulder; knowing that it was bound to be a very long journey to get to wherever they were heading towards. Sakura just stared up at the star-filled sky, questioning if Naruto and Sasuke were seeing the same thing that she was at this moment.

It hurt that none of them could experience this unique adventure together, but Sakura also realised that there was no point in despairing on something that was basically out of their control, so she decided to just soldier on; praying that they would all get through this. Treebeard continued talking to them. "I believe you will enjoy this next one. It is one of my compositions." The Ent had been 'entertaining' the two thoroughly bored hobbits, and a mildly interested Sakura with poems or ballads about trees and nature.

"Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves and the dreams of trees unfold. When woodland halls are green and cool, and the wind is on the west. Come back to me. Come back to me, and say my land is best." Treebeard suddenly realises that both hobbits and Sakura had fallen asleep, and almost immediately, he stops and picks them up laying them to rest upon the soft moss covered ground. "Oh, oh. Sleep now. Heed no nightly noise. Sleep 'till morning light." Treebeard soothed them before straightening up, and turning back the way he came. Merry and Pippin immediately make themselves comfortable and Sakura rolled over onto her side, leaning on her arm for a pillow. "I have business in the forest. There are many to call. Many that must come." Gandalf had given Treebeard an additional task to summon other Ents to discuss their involvement in the war to come against Saruman. "The shadow lies on Fangorn. The withering of all woods is drawing near. The trees have grown wild and dangerous. Anger festers in their hearts. They will harm you if they can." Treebeard explains to the sleeping hobbits and kunoichi. "There are too few of us now. Too few of us left to manage them." Treebeard fretted as he disappeared through the foliage to parts unknown, while the three weary travellers slept on.

* * *

At the same time, the group of five had stopped for the night and were sleeping … save Gandalf who was contemplating the night sky, deep in thought. Aragorn gets to his feet and approaches his friend. The ranger had a troubled frown on his face.

"The veiling shadow that glowers in the East takes shape." Gandalf greets him without glancing in his direction. "Sauron will suffer no rival. From the summit of Barad-Dûr his Eye watches ceaselessly. But he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear. Doubt ever gnaws at him. The rumour has reached him: the heir of Númenor still lives." He turns to look at a brooding Aragorn. "Sauron fears you, Aragorn. He fears what you may become. And so he'll strike hard and fast at the world of men." Aragorn's eyes narrow slightly, not comforted by the fact. "He fears what you may become." Gandalf continues studying Aragorn, curiously. "He will use his puppet Saruman to destroy Rohan. War is coming." He warns his friend, who stiffens slightly. "Rohan must defend itself and therein lies our first challenge, for Rohan is weak and ready to fall. The King's mind is enslaved. It is an old device of Saruman's. His hold over King Théoden is now very strong, and Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose." But Gandalf then suddenly smirks, drawing Aragorn's attention at the random emotion. "But for all their cunning, we have one advantage: the Ring remains hidden, and that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams. And so the weapon of the enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom." Both Aragorn and Gandalf watch as the sun continues to rise in the early morning sky. The blue-black clouds turning into a rosy pink. "We must trust now in Frodo. Everything depends upon speed and the secrecy of his quest." Gandalf notes the guilty expression on Aragorn's face, and smiled sympathetically. "Do not regret your decision to leave him." Aragorn looks at Gandalf with mild surprise. "Frodo must finish this task alone." Aragorn smiled slightly.

"He is not alone." He informed Gandalf. "Sam went with him." Gandalf was pleasantly surprised that the highly devoted hobbit had not forgotten his promise to Gandalf.

"Did he? Did he indeed? Good." He turns back to contemplate the horizon once again. "Yes, very good."

"And so did Naruto…" Aragorn added, before turning and heading back towards the camp to take in what little rest he could find before they had to set out on their remaining journey towards Rohan. Gandalf froze, and glanced back towards the group; belatedly realising that the hyperactive young blonde boy was in fact not among them.

"Interesting…" Gandalf whispered to himself; questioning what had been going through Naruto's mind when he decided to continue to accompany Frodo in this dangerous quest.

* * *

Frodo, Sam and Naruto climbed up a high rock overlooking Morannon, following a nervous looking Gollum who was already at the top eyeing something in the distance with trepidation.

"The Black Gate of Mordor." Gollum introduced, hiding his face in his hands with genuine fear. Naruto was the first one to reach the top, and could see and understand why Gollum was reacting the way he was. His cerulean blue eyes widened in horror.

"Aw, fuck me." He muttered underneath his breath, careful about saying it in front of both Frodo and Sam who were sensitive about the cussing. What had greeted him was the sight of an enormous Black Gate with orcs patrolling and standing guard on the towers and atop the walls. From the right, an army of Easterling soldiers were marching towards the Black Gate. Sam and Frodo scrambled up beside Naruto and both paled.

"Oh save us. My ol' Gaffer'd have a thing or two to say if he could see us now." Sam muttered.

"Master says to show him the way into Mordor, so good Smégol does. Master says so." Gollum insisted. Frodo gulped.

"I did." He just wished he hadn't. It would take a miracle for the three of them to make it passed those orcs standing guard and into Mordor without being spotted and killed on sight. Hell, Naruto reckoned the most skilled ANBU shinobi would have a hard time making it in there unscathed, and it was their job to come and go places without being detected. Sam seemed to thinking along the same lines as Frodo.

"That's it then. We cannot get past that." He sounded defeated. Just then a command is heard and an orc sounds a horn, signalling for the Gate to be opened. Naruto glanced over towards the gate and noticed two enormous cave trolls stretch and growl before pulling the mighty gate open. Sam's eyes widened. "Look! The gate, it's opening!" He scrambled closer to the edge of the hill before Naruto could stop him in his excitement to make it down the hill. "I can see a way down." Suddenly, the rock underneath him gives way and he falls.

"Sam, no!" Frodo cried out in fear as he watched his friend disappear before his eyes. Naruto immediately sprang to life and scrambled after Sam with Frodo close behind.

"Master!" Gollum hollers in dismay. Two Easterling soldiers see streams of dust coming down the cliff, which had been made by Sam, Frodo and Naruto. They both move away from their troop to investigate. Both Naruto and Frodo reached Sam who is stuck in the scree.

"Hold on, Sam. I'll get you out." Naruto muttered frantically at the hobbit who was struggling to free himself without success. Frodo came over to assist, but the Easterlings were approaching swiftly.

Thinking fast, Frodo throws his Elvish cloak over himself and Sam, as they were both small enough to shield themselves easily. Naruto wasn't so lucky. Thankfully, he was a shinobi and used to concealing himself from unfriendly eyes; having the Elvish cloak was just a bonus. The Easterling soldiers eventually find themselves directly in front of a concealed Frodo and Sam, and both hobbits hoped that Naruto had been able to escape detection. But all the soldiers were able to see was a large rock and (for some reason) a large misshapen log. Frodo and Sam peer out from underneath Frodo's cloak to see the soldiers scoping the area suspiciously, before eventually giving up and leaving to re-join their troop. The two hobbits wait several minutes before Frodo throws back the cloak and pulls Sam free.

"Where's Naruto?" Frodo asked frantically. Sam glanced around, looking just as worried.

"He was just here…" Sam answered. Both hobbits feared the worst before suddenly a hand shot out of the earth and grabbed Frodo's ankle. The Ringbearer just barely managed to stop himself from shouting out loud in complete terror as the hand groped about the rocky terrain before both of them recognised the orange and black sleeve and immediately grabbed the arm and helped pull up a dirty and dusty figure from a large hole in the ground.

It was Naruto.

"Oh, Naruto, don't ever do that again!" Frodo demanded, scowling angrily at the blonde ninja who looked sheepish.

"Sorry, jeez. I just improvised." Naruto protested his innocence as he dug himself free and brushed off the excess dirt and dust from his clothes and elvish cloak. All three of them eyed off the gate which was admitting the large troop of Easterlings inside. Frodo eyed both Naruto and Sam with reluctant determination.

"I do not ask you both to come with me." Frodo said, attempting to persuade both his friends to turn back before it was too late. Naruto snorted.

"Yeah, right. Nice try, Frodo. But I'm not letting you go in there by yourself." Naruto protested stubbornly. Sam nodded in agreement.

"I know, Mr. Frodo. But I agree with Naruto. I doubt even these Elvish cloaks will hide us in there." Sam stated doubtfully. All three exchanged glances with each other as they prepared to make a run for the gate.

"Now!" Frodo yelled, but Gollum pulled all of them back in the nick of time.

"No! No, no master! They catch you! They catch you!" Gollum insisted. Naruto glared angrily at the wretched little creature he was disliking every single second he had to spend with him before he realised, the little fucker had a point. "Don't take it to him! He wants the preciousss. Always he's looking for it!" Naruto and Sam eyed the Ring dangling around Frodo's neck like a snake coiled to attack. Both of them remembered the warning Gandalf had given them back in the wilderness of the Shire when they first set out on the journey to Bree. And judging by the expression on Frodo's face, they knew that their friend was remembering it too. "And the preciousss is wanting to go back to him." Gollum insisted before turning to glare at the Black Gate hatefully. "But we mustn't let him have it." Frodo makes another run for the gate, but this time it's not just Gollum who stops him; it's Naruto and Sam as well. "No! There's another way. More secret. A dark way." Gollum explains. Both Naruto and Sam glare accusingly at Gollum and his confession while Frodo still eyes the Black Gate desperately.

"You gotta be kidding me!?" Naruto growled, angrily.

"Why haven't you spoken of this before?!" Sam demanded, just as angry. Gollum looked at them with large, frightened eyes.

"Because Master did not ask!" Gollum replied. Neither Sam nor Naruto could believe what they heard coming from Gollum's mouth.

"He's up to something." Sam muttered urgently to Naruto who nodded in agreement. However, Frodo seemed to come back to life at this new piece of information.

"Are you saying there's another way into Mordor?"

"Yes." Gollum confirmed, nodding frantically. "There is a path, and some stairs, and then… a tunnel." Frodo and Sam watch as the Black Gate closes, while Naruto sighs with frustration and curses underneath his breath. Gollum buries his face into Frodo's cloak, as the Ringbearer deliberates what they should do next. Eventually, he makes his decision and turns reluctantly to both Naruto and Sam. Naruto's eyes widen in disbelief when he realises Frodo's intentions. _Please tell me he is not seriously considering this…!?_ He thought incredulously.

"He's led us this far." Frodo reasoned.

"Mr. Frodo, no." Sam muttered.

"I agree with Sam, Frodo. Something doesn't feel right about this." Naruto insisted. But Frodo's mind was made up.

"He's been true to his word." Naruto raked a hand through his unruly blonde hair in frustration as Sam whispered 'no' frantically. Naruto knew that he had to say something; as he was the only member of their motley crew who had any real experience of creating plans and roughing it in the wild.

"Yeah, but the thing is Frodo, is it's his word against ours. Who knows where he could be leading us?" Naruto attempted to point out the flaws in Gollum's plan. The blonde had always had good instincts; and his instincts were screaming at him that this whole thing was one big massive, deceitful trap intended on causing harm and dividing loyalties. But Frodo's face set determinedly and he turned towards Gollum.

"Lead the way, Smégol." Frodo said, gesturing tiredly at Gollum to lead on. Gollum nodded, seeming to sag with relief at Frodo's decision.

"Good Smégol always helps." Gollum replies before turning and leading them away from the Black Gates. Frodo was quick to follow, but both Sam and Naruto lagged behind; both eying Frodo in disbelief and concern.

* * *

Merry wakes up in a forest glade. He frowns at the unfamiliar, but very beautiful and peaceful surroundings and not seeing Pippin drinking from a stone dish behind him in a small spring, or Sakura sharpening her weapons with a whetstone. Merry realised that Treebeard must have placed them there when they had fallen asleep.

And speaking of…?

"Hello? Treebeard?" Merry turns towards Pippin with a questioning look reflected in his eyes. "Where has he gone?" He asks his friends, and they both shrugged and continued with what they were doing.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Merry." Sakura responded, testing the sharpness of her kunai with her thumb. Splashing noises caused both of them to look in Pippin's direction and noticed that the young hobbit was drinking spring water from what looked like a shallow stone basin. Beside him was another bowl, slightly larger than the one in his hands. Pippin flashes a slightly bemused Sakura and Merry a cheerful smile.

"I had the loveliest dream last night. There was this large barrel, full of pipe-weed. And we smoked all of it." Pippin then smirks playfully at Merry. "And then you were sick." Merry makes a face. "I'd give anything for a whiff of Old Toby." Pippin sighed, absently sipping away at the pure water.

Suddenly, they all hear a guttural groan.

"What was that?" Sakura immediately asked, looking at both hobbits with wide eyes. Merry looked just as freaked.

"I dunno." He responded, before turning towards Pippin. "Did you hear that?" Merry asked Pippin, who paused mid sip and glanced about with interest. The groan returns. "There it is again." Merry exclaimed, feeling a little freaked. "Something's not right here. Not at all." Pippin shrugs and gives a growling burp. The sound is exactly what they had been searching for. Both Sakura and Merry look at him in amazement.

"You just said something … treeish." Sakura concluded, eyeing Pippin from head to toe. Pippin frowned.

"No I didn't. I was just stretching." Pippin explained, then demonstrated, causing two more groans to come from him. Merry eyes him curiously.

"You're taller." He sounded a little accusatory.

"Who?" Pippin blinked, quizzically. Merry frowned and pointed at him, advancing.

"You!"

"Than what?" Pippin asked.

"Than me!" Merry yelled, incredulously. Pippin smiled innocently.

"I've always been taller than you." He stated matter-of-factly. Merry gave him a 'lets-be-serious' look as he placed his hands on his hips, and tried to get Pippin to focus.

"Pippin, everyone knows I'm the tall one. You're the short one." Merry stated. Pippin shook his head.

"Please, Merry. You're what, three-foot-six? At most? Whereas me, I'm pushing three-seven…" Pippin increases height, and beams in excitement. "Three-eight!" Then takes another mouthful of the water. Merry is mystified.

"Three foot eight?" Then he frowns at Pippin suspiciously. "You did something." He said, accusingly. Pippin shrugs nonchalantly and attempts to hide the stone dish, still full of water. However, Merry eyes the bowl; and puts two and two together. He grabs the stone bowl and drinks. Pippin immediately goes to stop him.

"Merry, don't! Don't drink it." Merry ignores him and takes a large mouthful of the water and darts away from Pippin's reach. "Merry! Treebeard said that you shouldn't have any!" Pippin explains desperately.

"I want some!" Merry stated, stubbornly.

"It could be dangerous!" Pippin insisted. "Give it back! Merry!" Sakura scowled at both hobbits, unimpressed.

"Hey, knock it off! This could be a serious situation." She insisted, but in the excitement, the hobbits trip over the roots of a nearby tree. Suddenly, the roots begin to close in on them. "What's happening?" Pippin asks, suddenly afraid. Merry suddenly shrieks in pain.

"Gah! It's got my leg!" Merry exclaims.

"Merry!" Pippin attempts to reach for his friend, but gets stuck himself.

"Oh, shit…" Sakura looks for a way to free her friends from the tree roots. However, the tree roots cover them up. "Help!" There was silence for several seconds, causing Sakura to despair, before Treebeard approaches the tree.

"Away with you. You should not be waking." The tree immediately releases the frightened hobbits. "Eat earth. Dig deep. Drink water. Go to sleep. Away with you." Treebeard soothes the aggressive tree as Merry and Pippin immediately dart away from the tree's roots. Treebeard scoops up both hobbits and Sakura. "Come, the forest is waking up. It isn't safe." He carries them through the forest. "The trees have grown wild and dangerous. Anger festers in their hearts. Black are their thoughts. Strong is their hate. They will harm you if they can." Sakura bites her bottom lip, questioning where the world was coming to that even trees were starting to rebel against the injustice in Middle Earth. "There are too few of us now, too few of us Ents left to manage them." Treebeard tells them, sadly.

"Why are there so few of you when you have lived so long?" Sakura questioned.

"Are there Ent children?" Pippin asks, curiously. Treebeard chuckles at the question.

" _Bru-ha-hroom_. There have been no Entings for a terrible long count of years." Treebeard replied.

"Why is that?" Merry questioned.

"We lost the Entwives." Treebeard replied, sheepishly. Pippin's face falls.

"Oh, I'm sorry. How did they die?"

"Die, no." Treebeard chuckled again. "We lost them. And now we cannot find them." Sakura blinked in surprise. "I don't suppose you've seen Entwives in the Shire?" Treebeard asked Merry and Pippin hopefully.

Merry frowned. "Can't say that I have. You Pip?" He glances over at his friend, who paused blinking.

"What do they look like?" Pippin asked, trying to be helpful. Treebeard pauses.

"I don't remember, now." Treebeard eventually reveals, sounding rather sad.

* * *

On the plains of Rohan; Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Sasuke bring their horses to a stop as Edoras comes into view. The group eyed the impressive view of a large, rustic medieval-style city, reclining on a massive Cliffside and surrounded by a sturdy wooden gate of which flags flapped in the morning breeze. Gandalf eyed the distant city with a grave expression on his wizened face.

"Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld." Gandalf heralded the city to the Three Hunters and Sasuke. "There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong." Gandalf reported.

* * *

In the Hall, Éomer's sister, Éowyn, kneels before her Uncle Théoden, holding his hand in hers. Tears of grief are trailing down her pale, flawless cheeks as she struggles to relay what should be devastating news. However, the King is unmoved.

"My lord, your son, he is dead." Éowyn whispered brokenly, stroking her uncle's hand in what she assumed was an attempt to comfort her uncle. Théoden doesn't react, causing Éowyn to frown at her motionless uncle through the tears still leaking from her eyes. "My lord? Uncle?" She attempts to gain his attention. But Théoden just sits and stares ahead; his eyes clouded and unseeing. "Will you not go to him?" Éowyn asks him, before weeping fresh tears. "Will you do nothing?" She receives only silence as an answer.

* * *

Back at the hill, Gandalf turns to his friend and companions and eyes them meaningfully.

"Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here." He advises them, before clicking his tongue to get Shadowfax to go and makes his way down the hill, riding towards Edoras. The others following close behind.

* * *

At Edoras, Éowyn gave up trying to provoke an emotion from her uncle and retreats to her dead cousin's bedchambers. The second her eyes focused upon Théodred, she collapses by his bed side and starts weeping into his hand in despair. Gríma appears from the shadows and steps into the room.

"Oh, he… he must have died sometime in the night." His oily voice practically drips with insincerity, and Éowyn stiffens in both disgust and hatred. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted no part of it. "What a tragedy for the king to lose his only son and heir." Éowyn glances up as he sits on the bed and places a hand on her shoulder. "I understand his passing is hard to accept, especially now that your brother has deserted you." Éowyn shoves his hand off her shoulder and gets to her feet.

"Leave me alone, snake!" Éowyn spits, glaring at Gríma with revulsion. But this only causes him to smirk at her. The repulsive man rises from the bed and moves closer to Éowyn, causing the princess's stomach to flip over unpleasantly.

"Oh, but you are alone! Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness. In the bitter watches of the night. When all your life seems to shrink. The walls of your bower closing in about you. A hatch to trammel some wild thing." He taunts her, as the glare on Éowyn's face gets darker. The smirk on Gríma's face fades, and a look of longing replaces it as he reaches out to touch Éowyn's cheek. She eyes him uncertainly.

"So fair, so cold, like a morning of pale spring still clinging to winter's chill." He whispers, as both Éowyn and Gríma stare at each other intently. Suddenly, Éowyn remembers herself and takes a deliberate step back from the revolting man.

"Your words are poison!" She said, disdainfully before running from Théodred's bedchamber, through the hall and out of the main entrance. Éowyn pauses, weeping, and looks away into the distance. A flag comes off its pole and is carried by the breeze. Turning her gaze away from the flag, Éowyn sees Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke approaching Edoras.

* * *

As our group of heroes approaches Edoras, the flag Éowyn had seen come free from its pole floats down to land near a passing Aragorn, who eyes it with a raised eyebrow, as the four horses pass through the gate to Edoras. The city is silent and somber, as the five strangers dismount their horses and take in their surroundings. Everybody is dressed in black and staring at the newcomers with wary silence. Sasuke stiffens, recognising the same expressions from every village he and Team Taka ever went through. Aragorn looks up at the hall and sees Éowyn standing on the steps looking down at them in both confusion and curiosity. Momentarily dismissing her, Aragorn glances around at more somber people.

"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard." Gimli muttered. Aragorn looks up to the hall again, and is slightly surprised to see that Éowyn had disappeared. Lead by Gandalf, the five of them climbed up the stone staircase to the hall and is met by guards. The lead guard, Háma, stops in front of Gandalf, who gives him a pleasant smile.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden-King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame." There are some raised eyebrows. "By order of Gríma Wormtongue." Háma stated, sounding somewhat reluctant, like he was being forced to enforce this particular rule. Gandalf nods in understanding and signals for the others to surrender their weapons. Aragorn hands over his sword and knives. Legolas gives a little twirl to his knives, showing off a little, before handing them over to the guards along with his bow. Gimli hands over his axe, reluctantly. Háma eyes Sasuke patiently, waiting for him to fork over his weapons. Sasuke eyed Gandalf, who gestures insistently that he comply.

"I'll just wait outside…" Sasuke suggests, trailing off a little towards the end of his explanation. Gimli looks at him incredulously.

"Whatever for?" He demands. Gandalf steps over to him.

"I must insist that you accompany us inside." Gandalf stated firmly. Sasuke gave a resigned sigh.

"Alright. If you insist." He conceded. Then proceeded to stun all the soldiers, guards and the Three Hunters by dumping all of his arsenal on a nearby stone table. Sasuke produced at least 15 kunai, senbon needles (both poisoned and unpoisoned), various storage scrolls and his weapons pack that consisted of: blood pills, soldier pills, chakra pills, exploding tags, a good length of steel wire and other miscellaneous items. Sasuke then roughly handed his impeccably sharp kusanagi sword at an extremely pale Edoras guard with an obvious threat that should he lose the sword, nobody would ever find his body.

"Where on earth were you hiding all that?" Came the obvious question.

"You really don't wanna know." Sasuke replied, before going and standing beside Legolas who was staring at him, shocked. Clearly, everybody here had underestimated how incredibly dangerous and skilled he really was. Aragorn merely shrugged before turning and waiting for admittance beside Gandalf who smiled down at him.

"The world is full of surprises." He said, sagely. Gandalf made to walk into the hall, but was stopped once again by Háma.

"Your staff." He gestured towards Gandalf's wizard's staff.

"Hmm?" Gandalf glances at his staff. "Oh? You would not part an old man from his walking stick?" He looked at Háma innocently. Sasuke barely managed to withhold a snort.

 _Innocent my ass…_ Háma also looked at the wizard sceptically, and hesitates. But then remembered that Gandalf was a powerful wizard in his own right, and if he could save his king he was willing to bend the rule just this once. He gestures that they follow him into the hall. Gandalf gives Aragorn a tiny wink and enters the hall, leaning on Legolas' arm for 'support'. Gríma straightens up the second he claps eyes on Gandalf and his companions. His eyes widen with a split second of fear before he remembered that they were all unarmed and defenceless. He leans down to whisper to Théoden.

"My lord, Gandalf the Grey is coming. He's a herald of woe." He reminds the king. Gandalf casually glances about the hall.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King." Gandalf observes. As Gandalf approaches Théoden; Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke fall back and survey the hall and its obvious hostile occupants. A group of thuggish men start to follow their steps with hostility.

"He's not welcome." Gríma whispers to Théoden who straightens up slightly on the throne.

"Why should I… welcome you, Gandalf… Stormcrow?" Théoden slurs before looking to Gríma for affirmation. Gríma smiles approvingly.

"A just question, my liege." He coos to Théoden, before turning and walking towards Gandalf. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest." Gríma drawled. Gandalf had had enough of him.

"Be silent!" He barked at Gríma with disgust. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" He reveals his staff, causing Gríma to recoil in both horror and irritation.

"His staff!" He backs away from Gandalf, while addressing Théoden's guards. "I told you to take the Wizard's staff!" Gríma growled. The hostile guards attack. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli engage them in a fist-fight, except for Sasuke who somehow produces a kunai from out of nowhere and brandishes it at a nearby guard who eyes it and gulps; especially when he sees Sasuke's Mangekou Sharingan pinwheeling in his eyes. Gamling, one of Théoden's loyal guards, tries to go forward and join the battle, but Háma holds him back.

"Théoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the shadows." Gandalf intones. Gríma makes an attempt to sneak off unnoticed, but Sasuke catches him and grabs him by the scruff of the neck, pinning him to the floor with a loud battle cry. He glares down at the horrified man, who had obviously underestimated Sasuke as an inexperienced fighter due to his obvious youth. Sasuke growled at him, jamming his foot into Gríma's throat.

"I would stay still, if I were you." He threatens him. Gandalf is oblivious to what is happening around him, so intent he was on saving Théoden.

"Hearken to me!" Gandalf cries out. "I release you from the spell." He gestures his hand towards Théoden, who gradually starts cackling menacingly at Gandalf.

"Hahahahahahah!" Gandalf opens his eyes in surprise and backed off a little. "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!" not-Théoden taunts with Saruman's voice. Gandalf frowns, before calmly throwing back his grey cloak, exuding blinding white light. Théoden is thrown back against his throne, much to the horror of his court. "Argh!" not-Théoden grunts in pain. Gandalf points his staff towards Théoden.

"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound." Hearing the commotion, Éowyn rushes into the room. Seeing Théoden is being threatened, she makes an attempt to go to her uncle's aid. Aragorn intercepts her.

"Wait." Aragorn whispers, urgently. Théoden struggles fitfully on the throne and lifts his head enough to glare menacingly at Gandalf.

"If I go … Théoden dies." Not-Théoden threatens Gandalf in Saruman's voice. Gandalf moves his staff sharply and Théoden flies back against his throne again.

"You did not kill me, you will not kill him!" Gandalf retorted sternly. Théoden raises his head again.

"Rohan is mine!" not-Théoden insists, uncaring that he is losing the battle to maintain his hold over Théoden.

"BE GONE!" Gandalf roars, and smites Théoden when he lunges at him. Théoden is thrown back into the chair and lets out a moan before slumping forward in the chair. Éowyn rushes to her uncle's side as he falls, catching him. Théoden's head rises again, and before their very eyes his face begins to change gradually into that of a much younger-looking man with honey golden hair, instead of the wispy snow white mane he had before. Clarity and recognition returns to his eyes. Théoden turns towards Éowyn and looks closely at her face.

"I know your face. Éowyn… Éowyn." He mumbles. Éowyn weeps with joy. Théoden turns towards Gandalf and his eyes widen in surprise.

"Gandalf?"

"Breathe the free air again, my friend." Gandalf greets the king, as he steps aside allowing Théoden a view of the hall which is now filled with light again. Everybody marvels at the rejuvenation of the king. Théoden got to his feet and looked around him complete bewilderment.

"Dark have been my dreams of late." He mused, glancing down at his trembling hands. Gandalf smiled.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better… if they grasped their sword." Gandalf suggested, as Háma stepped forward with the king's sword. Théoden reaches for it with his trembling hands and wraps it around the hilt before drawing it, gazing down on the shiny steel. In a corner, Gríma trembles and tries to throw off Sasuke's foot in a bid to escape, but is foiled when he increases the pressure on his throat.

Suddenly, Théoden's livid gaze then turns to Gríma.

* * *

Gríma is thrown out of the hall and down the stone staircase. He grunts with pain as he backs away from the livid king, who was slowly closing in; sword still in hand.

"I've only ever served you, my lord!" Gríma pleads beseechingly to Théoden who continues advancing towards him, holding his sword firmly in his hand.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" Théoden snarled.

"Send me not from your side." Gríma grovelled at Théoden's feet, but the king merely raises the sword to kill Gríma with Aragorn intercepting the blow at the last minute.

"No, my lord! No, my lord!" Aragorn yelled, grabbing Théoden's attention as he frowns at Aragorn's interruption. "Enough blood has been spilled on his account." He whispers in the king's ear. Aragorn then turns and offers his hand to Gríma to help him up, but Gríma spits a loogie into it – disgusting Aragorn – and takes off through the crowd.

"Get out of my way!" He growls, shoving his way through the crowd.

"Hail, Théoden-king!" Háma heralded reverently to the surrounding crowd – including Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke – who kneels in homage before Théoden. Aragorn kneels also, as Gríma steals a horse and rides out of Edoras. As Théoden turns to go back into the hall, he looks up. His eyes wide and soulful.

"Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" The king demands.

* * *

 **A/N: Let's stop here. Hope you've enjoyed this latest update. The next update will be out soon. Please review with your thoughts. TTFN xx**


	4. Grave Concerns

**WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CHAPTER: The funeral of Th** **é** **odred takes place, and the Three Hunters and Gandalf learn a bit about the shinobi funeral traditions from Sasuke as he mourns in his own way after confiding with Aragorn. Th** **é** **oden makes plans to evacuate Edoras to Helm's Deep, much to the objections of both Aragorn and Gandalf. Merry, Pippin, Sakura and Treebeard finally arrive at the Ent Meeting Place. Sam and Naruto continue to be suspicious of Gollum as he leads them and Frodo closer to Mordor.**

 _ **Naruto**_ **© Masashi Kishimoto and** _ **Lord of the Rings**_ **© J.R.R Tolkien. I don't own or have any affiliation with both works of fiction. Please review responsibly and constructively. NO FLAMES WILL BE APPRECIATED!**

* * *

 **GRAVE CONCERNS**

"Fear is the path to the dark side.  
Fear leads to anger.  
Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." **~ Yoda.**

* * *

As a new day dawned at Edoras, the atmosphere that surrounded the city was heavy and consumed with grief over the passing of the king's only son and heir. Death was always hard to deal with and accepted, especially because it was part of the shinobi way of life; but saying goodbye, even if it was somebody who was a complete stranger, is the hardest part of the mourning process.

Sasuke stood at the window of the bedchamber he was sharing with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf, just glancing at the beautiful, rolling green hills, the picturesque Southern alpine scenery, and the expansive river plains surrounding Edoras and Meduseld; the hall of King Théoden. He was dressed in some borrowed black funeral attire that some of the King's attendants had been generous enough to find for him, and his kusanagi was already strapped to his waist, even though he did not expect anything or anyone to attack during this day of mourning. With their luck, it could very well happen; why tempt fate?

"Are you alright?" Sasuke turned to find Aragorn standing at the door, looking at the avenger with a look of deep concern on his weary, ragged face.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sasuke replied, immediately closing himself off. Aragorn frowned at the obvious attempt at a brush off, and leant against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Just an inkling. I can tell that you're hiding something from the rest of us, and the Prince's death seems to have affected you deeply." Aragorn observed. Sasuke shrugged and leaned up against the window ceil.

"I've always hated funerals, even though they were common back in my world..." Sasuke replied nonchalantly, and his eyes darkened. "For example: my parents, and my brother…" Aragorn's eyes widened with mild surprise.

"Your parents? Brother?" He parroted. Sasuke tensed, cursing himself for being too open with his emotions. But with Itachi's death being so recent, it was hard not to show how much it had affected him; even though he had spent years training and both physically and mentally preparing himself for the inevitable showdown between them. It just hadn't occurred to him, the ultimate consequences of his actions in the end. He took in a deep breath, hoping that telling Aragorn what happened wouldn't backfire on him in the end.

"When I was five … my entire family were murdered by my older brother. I wasn't at home at the time." Sasuke elaborated, feeling the anger and pain licking at his insides like tongues of intense flame. "I confronted my brother about why he had done this. His reply was that it was to test his skills as a shinobi, and he encouraged me to seek him out when I had become stronger and cut ties with those whom I had a bond with, since he saw emotions like love and bonds of friendship as distractions and signs of weakness." Sasuke said, bitterly. Aragorn frowned, obviously disagreeing with Itachi's opinion that emotions were an Achilles' heel. If anything, emotions were a key point in gaining the upper hand in a life or death situation; it either saved lives or lend a hand until help could be procured. Sasuke continued his story. "He left the village not long after that, and I couldn't help but wonder at the time: why had he spared my life? Why hadn't he killed me like he had done to our parents?" Unshed tears gathered in his eyes, as he reflected upon that horrible night.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." Aragorn apologised, and Sasuke looked at him with hard eyes. "I cannot imagine or presume to guess how you must be feeling. You certainly have had a very hard, very tragic childhood." The ranger observed, looking angry on Sasuke's behalf. The young shinobi immediately shut down.

"I don't need your pity." Sasuke spat resentfully.

Aragorn smiled a little.

"I have no intention of giving it." He reassured him, kindly. "What happened to your brother?" Sasuke flinched, and Aragorn's eyes widened for a split second when he put two and two together, before sighing sadly. "I see. Was it recent?" Aragorn asked, gently.

"Before I came to this world actually. I killed him; and got my revenge for my family in the end." Sasuke responded, defensively. Aragorn looked disappointed, but kept what he really wanted to say to himself. What Sasuke had done was obviously a shinobi custom back in the world he, Naruto and Sakura had come from; but it didn't necessarily mean that it wasn't frowned upon in polite society.

"Was it worth it, in the end?" He asked, sagely.

"Decidedly not. It just left me with more questions about why he had done it in the first place. Which is why when I finally get back to where I came from, I'm going to get some answers." Sasuke vowed. Aragorn frowned, disturbed by Sasuke's dark attitude; and questioned if this was why both Naruto and Sakura had been so guarded and wary around him. Sounds of movement and activity drew their attention and Aragorn turned back to him, with a grim expression on his face.

"It's time. We best make an appearance and pay our last respects to the fallen prince." Aragorn declared, and Sasuke nodded curtly and moved to walk passed him. However, Aragorn caught him by the upper arm and pulled him to a stop. This earned him a warning glare from Sasuke, which he ignored in his determination to make the deeply troubled young man understand what had taken him a long time to come to terms with. "But there is going to come a time, Sasuke, when you'll have to accept that sometimes the answers that we seek may always be just a little out of our reach and we may never fully know the reasons why such things happen in our lives." He advised him, firmly. "I pray that you will find your inner peace in your suffering and sorrow." Aragorn gave Sasuke a tight smile before disappearing down the stone corridor to where the rest of their friends were gathering for the procession to the tomb.

Sasuke was quiet for a few moments, contemplating the ranger's words before straightening up and following Aragorn.

* * *

The Rohirrim gather for Théodred's funeral. Sasuke followed the procession carrying the dead Prince towards the tomb he was to be buried in. Following; were Aragorn who was walking beside Sasuke, Legolas and Gimli. Gandalf led them in front of Sasuke and Aragorn. Théodred's body was carried toward the tomb on a bier made of shields and spears. At the entrance of the tomb, Éowyn, dressed regally in black with her waist-length golden blonde hair knotted elegantly at the base of her head, and with a golden coronet on her head, waited with silent tears still falling down her cheeks. As her cousin's body finally reaches the tomb, Éowyn sings while the men pass the body to the women, who place it into the tomb:

 _"_ _ **Bealocwealm hafaõ fréone frecan forth onsended. Giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende." (An evil death has set forth the noble warrior. A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels.)**_ Théoden watches as his son's body passes him, into the cold depths of the tomb he would be forever enshrined in. A grief only a parent could possess, is reflected in his eyes. Éowyn continues singing, with some of the other women silently singing with her; each bowing their heads in their own grief.

 _"_ _ **On Meduselde þæt he ma no wære, Þæt he ma nowere is, þurh niedig rest." (In Meduseld that he is no more, that he is nowhere anymore, for his necessary rest.)**_ Sasuke lowered his head as he privately shed hot salty tears for a man he didn't know, while sending prayers for his own parents, his family and for Itachi and his sacrifice. He listened intently to the lamentable words Éowyn was singing.

 _"_ _ **And mægen deorost. Bealo…" (And that he is the dearest kinsman. Killing took him…)**_

* * *

Soon only Gandalf and Théoden stood at Théodred's tomb, where the king is reflecting on the past few hours since burying his son. Théoden holds up a white flower, examining it thoughtfully before releasing it and watching it spiral down to land among similar flowers in front of his son's tomb.

"Simbelmynë. Ever has it grown on the tombs of my forbearers." He turns to look at Gandalf. "Now it shall cover the grave of my son." He sighed. "Alas, that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see the last days of my house." Théoden lamented, bitterly.

"Théodred's death was not of your making." Gandalf reassured him, firmly. Théoden shook his head, stubborn in his grief.

"No parent should have to bury their child." Théoden starts to weep, and covers his face with his hands. Gandalf watched sympathetically, offering a kind smile.

"He was strong in life. His spirit will find its way to the halls of your fathers." The wizard turns towards the tomb and speaks to Théodred himself. _"_ _ **Westu hál. Ferõu, Théodred, Ferõu." (Be-thou well. Go-thou, Théodred, go-thou.)**_ Gandalf turns to go back to the hall to leave Théoden to grieve in private, when he spots Sasuke walking slowly towards them; wearing an expression on his face that told the wizard that he was used to death and was weary in his sorrow. It was something that wizard did not like seeing in the face of one as young as Sasuke's was. He had almost forgotten exactly how young he really was. Gandalf frowned slightly at his unexpected presence.

"What business do you have with the king at his most difficult time, Sasuke?" Gandalf asked politely, but protectively. Sasuke stepped forward to Gandalf.

"It is a custom where I come from to burn incense to purify the surroundings and say a prayer to honour the dead." He explained, calmly. "With the king's permission, I would like to perform it." He stated, respectfully. Gandalf paused, partly intrigued and partly unsure. "The ceremony won't desecrate the tomb. That I promise you." Sasuke reassured Gandalf. The wizard still looked unsure, but eventually nodded before leading the avenger down the path towards the openly grieving king.

"My lord, young master Uchiha requests a moment of your time." Gandalf hailed Théoden, respectfully. The king glanced over at Gandalf, then turned towards Sasuke, and offered a very tiny smile.

"Is there something I help you with?" Théoden inquired. Sasuke bowed respectfully to the king, before explaining himself.

"Actually, my lord, I have something that may help you cope with your loss. If you would permit me to explain?" He asked, respectfully.

"Go on?" Théoden gestured. Sasuke produced three sticks of jasmine scented incense and showed them to Théoden who – along with Gandalf – eyed the sticks of perfume quizzically. He explained the Elemental Nation's funeral rituals to the king. Théoden paused for a moment, pondering where the harm was in allowing this young man, no … young warrior, to honour his son in such a 'quaint' tradition.

Eventually, he smiled and nodded.

Sasuke turned towards Théodred's tomb and stepped towards the stone entrance. Taking a kunai from his weapons pack, he used it to loosen the dirt and stuck the incense sticks in, making sure that the stick wouldn't topple over once lit. Then he placed the three sticks evenly along the base of the door, and used a small amount of his fire jutsu to light one for himself, then one for Sakura and one for Naruto; both of whom, for obvious reasons could not be there, but would've liked to be included in the purification ritual.

Once the incense was smoking, he knelt on the ground in front of the stone door and clapped his hands twice to let Théodred know that he was there, before placing them together and falling into silent prayer; giving thanks to the fallen prince. After a moment, Sasuke got to his feet and turned towards Théoden who gave him a thankful smile.

"Thank you." The king praised, giving Sasuke a very weak but appreciative nod. Gandalf gestured to Sasuke to come over to his side.

"Come, let us return to the hall." The wizard suggested and the two of them turned for the stairs, leaving to give Théoden privacy to grieve. As they travelled to the dirt trail that led to the main gates, something moved out of the corner of Sasuke's eye.

"What?" Sasuke muttered out loud with alarm, catching Gandalf's attention as he turned towards him and noticed that he was staring at something in the distance: It was a horse carrying two extremely tired children on its back. It was Éorthain and Freda. As they watched, Éorthain falls off the horse. Sasuke cursed in dismay and rushes towards the children, with Gandalf following swiftly.

* * *

The two exhausted and frightened children were immediately carried by one of the Rohirrim and Sasuke into the Golden Hall, whereupon Éowyn immediately attended to them. Physically, both children were fine; albeit a little dehydrated, tired and very hungry. But there were no obvious wounds that needed to be healed. Mentally fit was another story however. Whatever these children had been through, had certainly taken its toll on their nerves. Éorthain was very quiet and barely making any eye contact, only answering questions put to him with short and to the point responses. But otherwise, focused upon the hearty bowl of stew that was prepared and handed to both his sister and himself.

His little sister, Freda, was nervous about being surrounded by so many well-meaning and concerned strangers; never mind that two of these strangers were the King of Rohan and his niece. To her, a stranger was a stranger. But mostly she was worried about where her mother was. She had promised that she'd find them didn't she?

So where was she?

Éowyn sighed despairingly at looked up at her uncle to give him an explanation.

"They had no warning. They were unarmed." She reported. "Now the Wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go." Éowyn grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around Freda's shoulders to help keep her warm. "Rick, cot and tree." Freda twisted round in her seat to question Éowyn frantically.

"Where's mama?" She demanded, and was immediately hushed by Éowyn.

"Let's not focus on that now. Eat your stew; we'll find your mother soon." The princess promised, encouraging Freda to eat her meal. Théoden sat on his throne with his head in his hand. The stress of the situation was obvious, and reflected on his careworn face. Gandalf was sitting beside him. He looked grave as he laid out the facts before the king.

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now for fear of Sauron." Théoden raised his head to look at Gandalf pointedly. "Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children." The wizard suggested as he leaned forward and placed a hand on Théoden's chair. The King glances down warily at the hand. "You must fight." Gandalf urged. Aragorn spoke up from where he was perched, smoking from his pipe.

"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak." He pointed out. "Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."

"They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is that you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war." Théoden got up from his chair and started pacing agitatedly. Sasuke looked up from where he had been slouching against the wall, nearby the table the two children were still eating at. And Gimli takes a bite out of some bread as he watched the exchange between Aragorn and Théoden.

"Open war is upon you. Whether you would risk it or not." Aragorn pointed out, pulling his pipe from his lips. Everybody paused in what they were doing and looked at the Ranger in astonishment. Sasuke agreed with Aragorn that the King was not thinking this through. He was barely on the brink of adulthood, and even he knew that only way to regain their freedom was to fight for it; even if there were casualties along the way. Théoden turned and glared at Aragorn, before walking over.

"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was King of Rohan." Aragorn stared defiantly back at him, but stood down for now. Gimli took a drink from his tankard and gave a hearty burp; which earned disgusted glances from those standing nearby. Gandalf waded in to assist Aragorn.

"Then what is the King's decision?" He asked, respectfully.

* * *

It was hard to tell who was the most annoyed about the King's decision on dealing with the mounting threat looming over them all. But if one had to choose right that second, Sasuke would've placed smart money on Gimli. The young shinobi was following Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli towards the stables where Shadowfax and the horses they had arrived in Edoras on, had been penned in. He glanced over to Háma, Théoden's doorward and Captain of the Guard, preparing to speak out to the villagers to announce the king's orders.

"By order of the king, the city must empty." Háma bellowed out, his voice like a bullhorn. "We make for the refuge of Helm's Deep. Do not burden yourselves with treasures. Take only what provisions you need." He instructed. Immediately, people begin moving about, gathering their belongings and make their preparations to move.

"Helm's Deep! They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight. Who would defend them if not their king?" Gimli shouted, angrily. Aragorn shook his head and placed his hand on the dwarf's shoulder, in an attempt to calm him down.

"He's only doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past." Aragorn defended Théoden's actions, as they all entered the stables. But Gandalf was also disapproving of the decision.

"There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap." Gandalf explained. "He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Théoden has a strong will but I fear for him." Legolas, Gimli and Sasuke split up to give help where they were needed in the stables, but Aragorn stayed by Gandalf. The wizard turned to talk directly to the Ranger. "I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defences **have** to hold." Gandalf urged him.

"They will hold." Aragorn promised confidently, and Sasuke nodded in agreement from where he was helping shift saddles and bridles. Gandalf turned to Shadowfax and stroked his snow white mane; a melancholy expression on his face.

"The Grey Pilgrim. That's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of men I've walked this earth and now I have no time." Gandalf sighed heavily. "With luck, my search will not be in vain." The white wizard then mounted Shadowfax, and looked down at Aragorn. "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east." He instructed. Aragorn opened up the stall gates, and took a step back.

"Go." Gandalf rides out of the stable, nearly crashing into Legolas and Sasuke in the process as the elf and boy jumped back to avoid him and he rides out over the plains of Rohan.

* * *

A loud whinny grabs their attention, and everyone turns towards two stable hands who attempt to soothe a bucking brown horse. Aragorn frowns and approaches the obviously distressed horse. One of stable hands sees him.

"That horse is half mad, my lord. There's nothing you can do. Leave him." He suggests to Aragorn who ignores him and starts talking to the horse in Rohirric and Elvish. Sasuke watches him as he does this, curiously.

 _ **"Fæste, stille nú, fæste, stille nú. Lac is drefed, gefrægon."**_ _(Fast, quiet now, fast quiet now. A battle is stirred up, they heard.)_ Aragorn soothes the horse in low tones, as he takes one of the ropes from a stable hand. The horse stops rearing, and the stable hand; recognising that Aragorn has everything under control, leaves to help elsewhere. Sasuke approaches slowly as to not startle the horse after Aragorn had taken all this time to calm him down. Aragorn sees him and nods encouragingly, as he unties both ropes from the bridle. He continues muttering to the horse soothingly.

 _ **"Hwæt nemnað ðe?"**_ _(What is your name?)_ Aragorn questioned the horse, who has become gentle. The other stable hand leaves soon after, and Sasuke steps into his place to lend assistance to Aragorn if the horse should act out again, despite his successful attempt to sooth him.

"His name is Brego." Aragorn and Sasuke looked up at Éowyn. She smiled sadly at them. "He was my cousin's horse." She explained. Aragorn looks surprised.

 _ **"Brego? Ðin nama is cynglic."**_ _(Brego? Your name is kingly.)_ He tells the calm horse. Éowyn and Sasuke observe him. Éowyn with admiration and curiosity, and Sasuke with intrigue _. "_ _ **Man le trasta, Brego?**_ _" (What troubles you, Brego?)_ Aragorn is concerned about the poor horse _._ _ **"Man cenich?"**_ _(What did you see?)_ He whispers to the horse.

"I've heard the magic of Elves, but I did not look for it in a Ranger from the North." Éowyn observed, in obvious bewilderment. "You speak as one of their own." Aragorn looked uncomfortable, and it was obvious that he wanted to avoid this conversation altogether. However, he decided to humour the princess and smiled politely at her.

"I was raised in Rivendell, for a time." Aragorn explained before handing a calmer, more compliant Brego's reins to a surprised Éowyn. "Turn this fellow free. He has seen enough of war." He looks over at Sasuke and places a hand on his shoulder with the intention to lead the boy away to find something else to do. "Come along, Sasuke. There is work that needs to be done." He instructs, as he wonders over and picks up an unattended saddle.

Éowyn remains behind looking pensive about Aragorn's succinct explanation.

* * *

Soon it was time for the massive exodus from Edoras to Helm's Deep. In the king's chambers, Théoden prepares to leave. He is dressed in travelling gear with a long forest green cloak about his shoulders. Gamling, one of his soldiers, hovers in the background waiting for his instructions.

"I am ready, Gamling. Bring my horse." Théoden orders, reaching for his gloves and pulling them on. Gamling nods, and turns to leave. But he is stopped by Théoden. "This is not a defeat. We will return." He reassured Gamling. The guard nodded, and finally leaves the room leaving the king to his own devices. "We will return." Théoden tells himself with a determination. In the Golden hall, Éowyn opens a chest in which lies a sword. She unsheathes it and begins to practice. She swings around and is met by Aragorn, who blocks her parry with his bowie knife.

"You have some skill with a blade." He observes, with a small smile. Sasuke comes into the hall, and paused watching Éowyn holding a dangerous weapon in her hands and seemingly facing off with Aragorn. He frowns, realising that all was not it seemed when it came to the Princess, and he watches as Éowyn looks back at Aragorn with a blank face, before swinging her sword and rendering him vulnerable, gaining the upper hand.

"Hn." Sasuke smirked, mildly surprised and impressed with Éowyn's unexpected expertise with a broadsword. After a few minutes staring down Aragorn, Éowyn takes a step back from Aragorn and sheathes her sword.

"Women of this country learned long ago: those without swords may still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain." She tells him, avoiding direct eye contact with Aragorn; believing that he might possibly disapprove of her ambition to fight alongside the men, and thus automatically getting defensive and shutting down a little. Both Sasuke and Aragorn frown, realising that there was more to her story than it seemed.

"What do you fear, my lady?" Aragorn asked, quietly. Éowyn pauses in her packing and slowly looks up at him, looking vulnerable.

"A cage." She replied, fearfully. "To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire." Aragorn smiles sympathetically at her.

"You are a daughter of kings, a Shieldmaiden of Rohan." He realised, with pleasant surprise. He sheaths his bowie knife. "I do not think that would be your fate." He reassures her before bowing and walking away. Aragorn pauses when he sees Sasuke and thus remembering Sakura who was the embodiment of everything that he said to Éowyn. The pinkette was, like the princess; a young woman, born into a world of battle, bloodshed and the occasional moments of peace; voluntarily choosing a life of valour and occasionally having to take up unideal jobs to make do. Aragorn hoped that these two extraordinary women would talk and eventually get to know each other soon, as he walked away seeking other ways to be useful.

Sasuke observes Éowyn watching Aragorn walk away with a barely concealed, and shy smile on her face as she took in his parting words. He frowned, already recognising the signs that the Princess was developing feelings for the already spoken for self-exiled prince of Gondor. The relationship that he knew Éowyn would soon covet was already doomed from the start, as Aragorn's heart already belonged to Arwen, despite the fact that the elf-maiden may or may not be already on her way to board the last ship to Valinor. Or so she had told him, on one of the rarer occasions Sasuke would allow her to talk with him back when he was still recovering from his wounds and the removal of the Cursed Seal of Heaven in Rivendell.

"Hope you realise what you've unwittingly started, Aragorn…" Sasuke muttered as he heaved up a heavily decorated wooden chest into his arms and carried it from the Golden Hall to be placed with the rest of the King's possessions.

* * *

Naruto, Frodo and Sam follow Gollum along a freshwater stream. The three of them watch as Gollum makes an attempt to catch a fish; giggling with child-like glee as he makes his attempts and wrestles with his slippery catch.

"Hey Stinker! Don't go getting too far ahead!" Sam warns him, causing both Naruto to raise an eyebrow at the harsh tone he used, and Frodo gaping at his friend, looking appalled.

"Why do you do that?" Frodo demanded. Sam turns and looks at Frodo with confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"Call him names; run him down all the time." Frodo looked disappointed with Sam's actions. Naruto stepped forward, disapproving of Sam's action also, but at the same time understanding as well.

"I agree with Frodo; I don't much like him either, but that was kinda unnecessary." Naruto chided Sam. The blonde hobbit looked a little embarrassed, but at the same time defiant.

"Because… because that's what he is, Mr. Frodo." Sam attempted to justify his actions to both his friends. "There's naught left in 'im but lies and deceit. It's the Ring he wants. It's all he cares about." He insisted, gesturing to Gollum; who was oblivious to the attention he was receiving from his charges. Frodo glares at Sam for his judgement.

"You have no idea what it did to him. What it's still doing to him." He walked past Sam and stopped, observing Gollum with sympathetic eyes. "I want to help him…"

Naruto blinked. "Why?"

"Because I have to believe he can come back." Frodo replied, truthfully. Naruto and Sam exchanged doubtful looks with each other, before Naruto strode on ahead to make sure that Gollum didn't pull a fast one and run off, stranding the three of them in the middle of nowhere. But he could still hear the conversation behind him.

"You cannot save him, Mister Frodo." Sam told him, sadly.

"What do you know about it? Nothing!" Frodo snapped, alarming both Naruto and Sam, whose response to Frodo's unnatural and very disturbing retort was to walk towards where Naruto was looking back at Frodo with deep concern in his blue vulpine eyes. Suddenly, Frodo realised what he had done and remorse clouded his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know why I said that." Naruto's eyes hardened and he strode towards the Ringbearer.

"The Ring was influencing you to say that." He explained, firmly. Frodo looked at Naruto with wide eyes momentarily, before they too hardened and looked away. Sam looked at Frodo with tears in his eyes. He could see that Ring was slowly and mercilessly taking away his friend with each passing day.

"You can't take your eyes off it." Sam agreed with Naruto's observation. "I've seen you. You're not eating, you barely sleep. It's taken a hold of you, Mr. Frodo. You have to fight it!" Sam urged him.

"You're stronger than this, Frodo. Fight!" Naruto agreed. Frodo immediately turns on both Naruto and Sam, causing the concern in both of them to increase dramatically.

"I know what I have to do. The Ring was entrusted to me!" He shouted. "It's my task! Mine! My own!" He insisted, causing Naruto's eyes to widen in shock and fear when he realised that those were almost the same words Bilbo had spoken back in the Shire when he and Gandalf had confronted him on his disappearing act at the party. Frodo immediately walks away from them both, unaware of the turmoil he was inflicting within Naruto.

"Can't you hear yourself?" Sam shouted back, sounding desperate to make Frodo understand how much he was scaring both him and Naruto. "Don't you know who you sound like?" Frodo ignored him, choosing not to look back as he continues walking towards Gollum; still trying to catch a fish. Naruto approaches Sam and places a reassuring hand on the hobbit's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sam. I won't let that piece of tin corrupt Frodo. I swear to it." Naruto vowed, in a low serious voice. Sam nodded, and both of them hurry after their friend.

* * *

When night falls, the only ones still awake in this group of four were Naruto and Gollum. Although once again, Naruto was maintaining a very light slumber so he could still hear what was going on around him, and keeping a sharp ear on Gollum who had volunteered to take first watch. Right now, the diminutive creature was in the middle of a conversation with himself.

 _ **"We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precioussss. They stole it from us."**_ Gollum hissed, angrily. _**"Sneaky little hobbitsess, and that scary fox. Wicked, trickssssy, falssse!"**_ Naruto clenched his fist tightly with every word that was coming from that treacherous little creature. He was about ten seconds away from getting to his feet, tackling him and slicing open his throat. Sure, they'd be losing their only guide to get into Mordor; but Naruto reckoned they'd find another way if they needed to. He froze when suddenly, Gollum suddenly shifted into a more innocent sounding personality.

"No! Not Master." He whined, pathetically. Naruto was a combination of confused and creeped out by the drastic change. 'Gollum' chuckled darkly.

 _ **"Yes, precious. False. They will cheat you, hurt you, lie."**_ 'Gollum' insisted. Naruto decided that the innocent voice was this 'Sméagol' Frodo insisted on calling him, and the darker more menacing voice was 'Gollum'.

"Master's my friend." Sméagol insisted.

 _ **"You don't have any friends. Nobody likes YOU."**_ Gollum taunted Sméagol. Naruto rolled over in his 'sleep' beside Frodo, making sure that 'Gollum', 'Sméagol' or whoever the hell he was hadn't seen him do it, and that he hadn't disturbed the fitfully sleeping Ringbearer. Sam was snoring silently on Frodo's other side, but he had a troubled frown on his face, and his eyes were red-rimmed from shedding angry tears. Luckily, it was dark enough that Naruto could open his eyes and nobody would know that he was watching. The creature crouched with his back to him, cupping his ears with his large, thin hands.

"Not listening. I'm not listening." Sméagol said, childishly.

 _ **"You're a liar and a thief."**_ Gollum insisted, obviously enjoying the misery he was inflicting upon his more innocent counterpart.

"Nope."

 _ **"Mur…derer…!"**_ Gollum whispered, darkly. Naruto frowned as 'Sméagol' starts to weep and whimper, and he almost felt sorry for the creature; and could _almost_ see what Frodo apparently saw within him.

"Go away." Sméagol whimpered.

 _ **"Go away?"**_ Gollum sounded amused by this and immediately started cackling insanely, causing Sméagol to cry harder.

"I hate you. I hate you!" He insisted.

 _ **"Where would you be without me? *Gollum* *Gollum*."**_ Gollum demanded, fiercely. _**"I saved us. It was me. We survived because of me!"**_ Suddenly, Gollum/Sméagol straightened; looking like he had just had an epiphany.

"Not anymore." Sméagol whispered, resolutely. Gollum froze, looking curious and suspiciously at Sméagol.

 _ **"What did you say?"**_ Gollum asked, sounding startled. Sméagol looked extremely triumphant; making both Naruto and Gollum wary.

"Master looks after us now. We don't need you." Sméagol declared.

 _ **"What?"**_

"Leave now and never come back." Sméagol ordered Gollum.

 _ **"No!"**_ Gollum retorted.

"Leave now and never come back!" Sméagol repeated, sounding more confident and happy. Gollum bared his teeth and snarled furiously at his innocent counterpart. "LEAVE NOW AND NEVER COME BACK!" Sméagol chanted. There was silence for several minutes, and both Sméagol and Naruto pricked up their ears for a hint of Gollum's whereabouts. But eventually, a relieved smile spread across Sméagol's face while a very confused frown deepened on Naruto's. "We… we told him to go away! And away he goes, preciousss." Sméagol gets to his feet and starts dancing around joyfully, freaking out Naruto in the process. "Gone, gone, gone! Sméagol is free!" Naruto closes his eyes, and questions what the hell he had just witnessed before falling into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

The next day, mid-afternoon; Naruto was keeping sentry while both Sam and Frodo were resting. Or to be more specific, _Frodo_ was resting; looking more and more exhausted as the days went by, concerning both Naruto and Sam tremendously. Sméagol then abruptly appears carrying two scrawny and dead looking rabbits in his mouth, which he promptly dumps into Frodo's lap, mildly startling him out of his doze.

"Look! Look! See what Sméagol finds!" The diminutive creature claps his hands and laughs happily with childish glee, pleased with his find as Frodo looks up at him with bloodshot eyes and smiles at Sméagol, before looking over at both Sam and Naruto. Naruto rolls his eyes and returns to his sentry duty, while Sam observes Sméagol suspiciously when he raises a fist in self-congratulation and dances around. But then the both of them froze when they heard an audible crack of bones breaking and they turn and react with horror and disgust as Sméagol picks up one of the rabbits and snaps its spine right in front of Frodo, who turns a nasty shade of green.

"Is that really necessary?" Naruto mutters grimly. Sméagol pays him no mind as he starts to describe his catch to an uncomfortable Frodo.

"They are young. They are tender. They are nice. Yes, they are!" He waves the rabbit in Frodo's face, as he cringes away. "Eat them! Eat them!" Sméagol insists before he bites and tears into the raw meat. Naruto immediately reacts.

"Hey! Knock it off, you little creep!" He growls, as Sam rushes over and snatches the rabbit out of Sméagol's hands.

"You'll make him sick, you will, behaving like that!" He agrees with Naruto, and Frodo gives them both a weak but grateful smile before nodding off again. Sméagol pouts at Sam in resentment when the hobbit holds up the two rabbits. "There's only one way to eat a brace of coneys." Sam stated. Naruto immediately perks up at the idea of a cooked meal instead of the Lembas bread they had been consuming for the past few days.

"What did you have in mind, Sam?" Naruto asks with interest.

"A stew, of course." The hobbit replies, like it was obvious. Naruto paid the comment no mind, and grinned a 1000-watt grin.

"Sweet. Looking forward to it!" He declared approvingly and turned back to resume keeping watch, as Sam smiled a little and got to work skinning and gutting the two rabbits; much to Sméagol's obvious horror. A few minutes later, and a delicious smell wafts over in Naruto's general direction, making the Jinchūriki drool _._

 _"_ Argh! What's it doing! _"_ Sméagol shrieks in dismay, then glares at Sam who gives the stew a stir and adds some herbs and seasoning. "Stupid fat hobbit! It ruins it!" He protested.

"Oh, give it a rest!" Naruto moans in frustration, having listened to the creature shrieking and curse for the past few minutes since Sam first started preparing their meal. Sam eyes Sméagol with an equal amount of annoyance, as Frodo stirs from his 'nana-nap' when he smells the lovely aroma and sits up shakily.

"What's to ruin?" Sam asked. "There's hardly any meat on 'em." He pointed out. A faint calling sound grabs both Naruto and Frodo's attention, and both sneak away to investigate while Sam decides to teach Sméagol about flavour and taste when it came to food. "What we need is a few good taters." Sam declared. Sméagol looks puzzled.

"What's taters, preciousss? What's taters, uh?" He demanded.

"PO-TAY-TOES!" Sam enunciates. "Boil 'em. Mash 'em. Stick 'em in a stew." Then he smiles nostalgically. "Lovely big golden chips with a nice piece of fried fish…" Sméagol sticks out his tongue in disgust and blows a disapproving raspberry. Sam glowers at him. "Even you couldn't say no to that." He insisted, taking a spoon and dunking it in the stew to take a sip of the broth.

"Oh yes we could!" Sméagol disagreed. "Spoil nice fish…" He scrambles up closer to Sam. "Give it to usss rraw … and wrrriggling!" Sméagol makes a disturbingly happy face that makes Sam cringe. "You keep nasty chips." He states, before hopping away. Sam makes a face.

"You're hopeless." He tells Sméagol, before realising that neither Frodo nor Naruto were in his sight. "Mr. Frodo? Naruto?" Sam calls out, before abandoning their food and going in search for his friends. He eventually finds the both of them, hiding in some nearby bushes. Both were observing a Haradrim army marching their way across the land, and Sam immediately crouches low beside Frodo. Sméagol approaches to observe as well, looking rather nervous.

"Who in the hell are they?" Naruto muttered, frowning.

"Wicked men. Servants of Sauron." Sméagol explained. "They are called to Mordor. The Dark One is gathering all armies to him. It won't be long now. He will soon be ready." He warns them.

Sam looks worriedly at Sméagol. "Ready to do what?"

"Make his war." Sméagol responded. "The last war that will cover all the world in shadow."

 **"** Great. No pressure then." Naruto bitched. Frodo ignored him, and started turning to head back to their campsite. The disturbed expression on his face, worried both Sam and Naruto.

"We've got to get moving." Frodo stated. "Come on." He gestured to both Sam and Naruto to follow him, but Sam suddenly grabs Frodo's arm.

"Mr. Frodo! Look!" Frodo turned towards where Sam was pointing, and gasped in surprise. "It's an Oliphaunt!" Sam was positively beside himself with excitement. Naruto was about to ask what hell an 'Oliphaunt' was when one suddenly stomped passed their hidden bush, carrying soldiers and supplies on its back. The Jinchūriki's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"That's a big ass elephant!" He exclaimed in shock. Both Sam and Frodo looked at him in a puzzlement.

"What's an elephant?" Sam asked him, curiously. Naruto sweat dropped, and was about to explain that an 'elephant' was what was stomping past them at that moment; but decided against it. It wasn't really important.

"Never mind. I'll tell you later." Naruto promised, hastily. The Oliphaunts continued on their way amongst the marching soldiers, unaware that they were being observed by two hobbits, a powerful Jinchūriki and a small, gangly and decrepit creature.

"No one at home will believe this…" Sam declared and Naruto nodded in agreement.

"That's for sure. I'd have a hard time describing this where I came from too." Naruto said, sounding rather sad. He reckoned even Sasuke and Sakura would be fascinated with this once-in-a-lifetime viewing. Sméagol chose this opportunity to sneak away unnoticed… up until now, of course, when both Frodo and Naruto suddenly realise that they were missing somebody crucial to their quest.

"Sméagol?" Frodo immediately started looking around for him. Naruto scowled, and started scanning the nearby surroundings for a glimpse of where Sméagol might have snuck off.

 _Where's that little rat disappeared to?_ He thought.

Then jumps like he had been shot when suddenly, pandemonium breaks out from below where he, Frodo and Sam had been observing the soldiers. They were being ambushed by cloaked rangers who were firing deadly arrows at the soldiers and Oliphaunts from behind bushes. One of the Oliphaunts started trumpeting and stomping towards Frodo and Sam, swinging his huge trunk and tusks, and Naruto quickly sprinted towards them to pull them out of harm's way.

One of the soldiers, whose name was Faramir, takes aim at the stampeding Oliphaunt and shoots one of the soldiers from its back. The soldier sails out of the canopy on the back of the Oliphaunt and lands right behind Naruto, who was shielding Frodo and Sam, dead. Naruto curses, and withdraws kunai from his weapons' pack; knowing that they were not out of danger yet. Frodo seemed to agree with him.

"We've lingered here too long. C'mon!" But before Naruto could stop him and pull him back so he could lead them away from the danger safely, Frodo slips from his grip and thudded right into a Gondorian Ranger. The ranger immediately grabs hold of him and throws him onto his back.

"Hey!?" Naruto snarls and barrels forward, followed closely by an angry, protective Sam who grapples for his sword. "Get away from him you bastard!" Naruto orders the ranger and is quickly surrounded by several more rangers who catch him off guard and wrestle him to the ground, relieving him of his kunai in the process; before aiming arrows and swords at the vital parts of his body. Sam doesn't fare much better, as he charges at Faramir but is grabbed by yet another ranger and thrown to the ground like Frodo. A sword appears at his throat too.

"Wait! We're innocent travellers!" Sam immediately starts pleading their innocence. Faramir steps out from the group of rangers and eyes him, Frodo and especially Naruto with scepticism. He is not at all intimidated by Naruto's death glare.

"There are no travellers in this land, only servants of the Dark Tower." Faramir corrects Sam. Frodo tries his luck.

"We are bound to an errand of secrecy." He explained, drawing Faramir's attention. "Those that claim to oppose the enemy would do well not to hinder us." Frodo explains, sternly.

Faramir raised an eyebrow. "The enemy?" He wonders over to the dead soldier and turns him over onto his back. Naruto, Frodo and Sam look down at the soldier and then back up at Faramir, questioning what he was up to. "His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem." He feels the need to remind the three of them, and Naruto is instantly reminded of Kakashi. "You wonder what his name is, where he came from, and if he was really evil at heart." Naruto's eyes widened in horror when he realised what Faramir was talking about, and instantly felt ashamed. "What lies or threats led him on this long march from home. If he would not rather have stayed there … in peace."

Faramir's blue-green eyes were hard and flinty as he looked back upon the three of them with mistrust. And for the first time since he started on this journey with Frodo and Sam, Naruto didn't blame the ranger at all for his words. He knew that if Iruka, Kakashi, Jiraiya or even the Third were to see him like this at the moment; judging somebody for just doing what they believed to their duty to their home, he reckoned they would be extremely disappointed with him. The young shinobi lowered his head in shame.

"War will make corpses of us all." Faramir declared, coldly. "Bind their hands." He ordered his subordinate who immediately pulled the three of them to their feet and started leading them away.

* * *

 **A/N: We'll stop here. Thank you for your patience everybody, and I'm sorry for the lengthy absence. I hope that this chapter update makes up for it.**

 **Please review. TTFN x**


End file.
